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• Faculty of Arts takes the Convocation stage today
• New cohort attends the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Academic Leadership Academy at Stratford Campus
• MFA thesis work on display at UWAG
• Thursday's notes

Faculty of Arts takes the Convocation stage today

The Faculty of Arts will have three ceremonies beginning this morning and ending this evening. 1,328 undergraduates, 178 Master's, and 23 PhD candidates will receive their degrees.

Morning ceremony

The first ceremony takes place at 10:00 a.m.ÌýWatch the livestream.

Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

Carrying the mace will be Dr. Anindya Sen.

¶Ù°ù.ÌýJohn Ravenhill will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus.ÌýDr. Ravenhill joined the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ in 2013 as the director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, recognizing his leadership and world-class research in global politics and international political economy. His service continued in 2019 as chair of the Department of Political Science. Ravenhill has published more than 25 books and over 200 articles and book chapters. Among many distinctions, he has received the International Political Economy Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association and is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has also taught at the universities of Virginia, Sydney, and Edinburgh, and at the Australian National University.

Viren PandyaÌýwill deliver the valedictory address.

Afternoon ceremony

The afternoon ceremony takes place at 2:30 p.m.ÌýWatch the livestream.

Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

¶Ù°ù.ÌýGrit Liebscher will carry the mace.

Dr. John English will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Dr. English is one of Canada's most acclaimed, best-selling historians and experts in international relations. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has the Order of Merit of Germany. Dr. English was the Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Kitchener from 1998 to 1997, serving with distinction as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, and was for four decades an outstanding member of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's history department and founding executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). He is now a Senior Fellow at Trinity College at the University of Toronto and chairs the Canadian International Council.

Daisy BurchÌýwill deliver the valedictory address.

Evening ceremony

The evening ceremony takes place at 6:30 p.m.ÌýWatch the livestream.

Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

¶Ù°ù.ÌýEfrim Boritz will carry the mace.

Tim Jackson will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Jackson is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, not-for-profit leader and community builder. He is the president and chief executive officer of Shad, Canada's premier high school student summer program. He co-founded Tech Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm and led the Accelerator Centre, an incubator for technology startups. He was the executive-president at the MaRS Discovery District, one of the world's largest urban innovation hubs. As a University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Accounting graduate, Jackson has a long history of service at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ. He held the position of Vice-President, University Relations in addition to five years on the Board of Governors and seven years as chair of the Student Venture Fund investment committee. Jackson was recognized with the prestigious title of Fellow Chartered Public Accountant for his exceptional service to the profession and his community.

¶Ù°ù.ÌýRanjini Jha will be named Distinguished Professor Emerita.ÌýDr. Ranjini Jha retired from the School of Accounting and Finance in 2024, following a 26-year career at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ. She was an outstanding researcher, an exemplary educator, a catalyst in experiential finance education particularly for young women, and a wise governance advisor to our pension and benefits committee. As a trailblazer in experiential finance education, Jha founded the Student Investment Fund in 20 12 (public equity) and the Student Venture Fund in 20 17 (venture capital). Jha has received numerous awards, including the Faculty of Arts 20 23 Excellence in Service Award, and the Outstanding Performance Award in 2013, 2010 and 2006.

Matthew JonesÌýwill deliver the valedictory address.

A number of awards and medals will be handed out to outstanding graduands today, including:

Megan Olivia Kelly will be named the University Finalist for the Governor General's Gold Medal at the doctoral level.

Aparajita Bhattacharya, who graduated in fall 2024, will be named the University Finalist for the Governor General's Gold Medal at the Master's leve.

Calla Mueller will receive the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ President's Award of Excellence for highest standing in an undergraduate degree program.

Julia Alison Nicolaisen will receive the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement.

New cohort attends the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Academic Leadership Academy at Stratford Campus

From May 7 to 9, a cohort of Department Chairs, School Directors, Associate Chairs and Associate Deans attended the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Leadership Academy, an intensive in-person leadership retreat which provides executive education and networking opportunities to participants across campus.

A message from the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic.

The second annual À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Leadership Academy for academic leaders was held in early May 2025, seeing a diverse group come together to develop their leadership skills and foster connections with colleagues across campus. A similar Leadership Academy for senior staff was held in December.

The three-day intensive retreat was held at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, with attendees staying in Stratford and spending evenings together with the aim of building community. Participants joined from across the institution, with leaders from all six Faculties in attendance. Sessions focused on leadership competencies including negotiation, group decision making and generating trust. The curriculum was developed and facilitated by Mark Weber, Special Advisor to the Provost on Leadership Strategy and Development, with Martin Cooke, Assistant Vice President, Academic Leadership and Strategic Initiatives. Activities also included a welcome and Q&A session with Provost and VP Academic Dr. Jim Rush, and a closing session on lessons for academic leaders from Dr. Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering. ÌýÌý

À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s Leadership Academy, along with the Academic Leadership Program (ALP) administered through the AVPA office, is part of the focus on leadership development recommended by the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Building a Resilient University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ. Academic leaders interested in attending the 2026 Academy (May 6–8, 2026) or learning more about the ALP can express their interest by or can reach out to the ALP team via email (ALP@uwaterloo.ca).

Stay tuned for an announcement in the Daily Bulletin about the ALP kick-off event being hosted in September 2025.

MFA thesis work on display at UWAG

The Department of Fine Arts is showcasing the MFA thesis work of student Breanne Jeethan from June 12 to June 28 at theÌýUniversity of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Art Gallery.

The System is Broken

The System is BrokenÌýis a body of workÌýbased on the artist's experiences as a workerÌýin the Emergency Department of a hospital. The series represents abstract scenes of the clinical workspaceÌýand isÌýa response to the fast-paced, stressful environmentÌýthat isÌýrife with trauma, high emotions, and anguish. Working between the emergency room and herÌýstudio, the artist uses the symbiotic relationship between the two workplaces as a fuel to create her work. By manipulating and distorting found imageryÌýcreated by various medical technologies, abnormalitiesÌýin the imageryÌýare created to signal the bureaucratic structuresÌýand power imbalancesÌýthat undermine healthcare. The resulting series speaks to both the artist’s continuous navigating ofÌýherÌýstate of in-betweenness, but also to the overarching hierarchicalÌýnature of the medical system.

B is a multi-disciplinary artist and healthcare worker based in Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario. Her experience in graphic design has projected her practice in a mix of analogue and digital printmaking. Her practice explores themes of the body, medicine, and trauma with the use of internal imagery like X-rays, ultrasound scans, and angiogram brain scans. She has displayed her work at Durham Art Gallery, Durham; Xpace Cultural Centre, Toronto; Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto; and Small Arms Inspection Building, Mississauga. She is the recipient of the Sylvia Knight Award in Fine Arts (2025).Ìý

The opening reception takes place on Thursday, June 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday's notes

"Faculty members are invited to join colleagues for an informal Grad House event onÌýJune 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to learn about Heterodox Academy (HxA)," says a note from Professor Kelly Anthony. "HxA's mission is to 'advance open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement across higher education – the foundations of our universities as truth-seeking, knowledge-generating institutions.ÌýHxAÌýempowers members to organize on their campus, educates academics on the importance of our principles, and advocates for policies to protect open inquiry across higher education.' Several local universities haveÌýHxAÌýchapters; a founding member from University of TorontoÌýHxAÌýwill attend to discuss the creation of a UW HxA chapter. Join us for pizza, nachos and scintillating conversation!"