Conrad Grebel University College

10/17/2026

The Grebel community was saddened to learn of the passing of Salah Bachir, who lived at Grebel in the mid-1970s. Salah went on to make a remarkable impact through his philanthropy and generosity in the arts, health care, and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Condolences to his family and friends.

View Salah John Bachir's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

10/16/2026

Michael Shum has been such a gift to Grebel and the alumni community!

For the past five years, Michael has chaired the Alumni Committee and served on Grebel's Board of Governors as the Alumni Rep. He served on the Alumni Committee for several years before stepping into these leadership roles.

Michael has helped plan reunions and alumni events, spoken at Community Supper, inspired graduating students, presented awards, and even set up a Discord server for alumni. His stories captivated students. Around the table, his leadership was organized, thoughtful, and positive. His ideas helped to build community, and his presence was always welcoming.

Thank you, Michael, for all your contributions to Grebel and the alumni community!

10/15/2026

Centre for Peace Advancement Director Paul Heidebrecht is working with Build Up, an international peacebuilding organization, to co-create the Build Peace annual conference taking place this fall in Waterloo.

“Build Peace is not a typical academic conference,” explained Paul. “It is structured around short talks, hands-on workshops, and curated plenary sessions that aim to spark ideas and deepen connections that will advance peace in concrete ways far beyond the conference. A secondary outcome we are aiming for is to build connections at the University of Waterloo between those working at the intersection of peace, technology, and the arts.”

Read the full article: uwaterloo.ca/grebel/news/paul-heidebrecht-building-peace

10/13/2026

Join the Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) and Conrad Grebel University College in the Grebel Gallery on October 20th, 2026 for the launch of Healing Communities: Restoring Relationships to Live More Fully Together by CCBR Executive Director, Rich Janzen.

From 4:30 to 5:30 pm, come celebrate and learn more about the book's exploration of how we can restore relationships and strengthen our communities.

uwaterloo.ca/centre-peace-advancement/events/healing-communities-book-launch

10/12/2026

PACS Professor Nathan Funk’s principal research focus is the Peace Professionalism Project (PPP), a SSHRC-funded, transnational, partnership-development research project.

The PPP fosters interaction between scholars and practitioners to generate insights and mobilize knowledge. Together with a research team in Canada and several other countries, the project explores two broad research questions: 1) How do peace professionals know whether they possess the skills, competencies and values necessary to be effective in their work? 2) What makes an effective peace worker?

Read the full article: uwaterloo.ca/grebel/news/nathan-funk-peace-professionalism

10/11/2026

The Congregational Leadership Webinar Series returns Thursday, October 29. Join Dr. Betty Pries as she leads “Giving and Receiving for Feedback Church Leaders” Online 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT.

Hosted by the Conflict Management program at Grebel in partnership with Credence & Co., these short, interactive webinars are great for church leaders and volunteers looking to improve their leadership skills within their church community.

For rates and details visit uwaterloo.ca/conflict-management/congregational-leadership-webinars

10/09/2026

In this recent University of Waterloo article, Mary McPhee (BASc '23), a recent Grebel alum, speaks about how her interest in robotics and co-op experience led her to a job at MDA Space, one of Canada's leading space technology companies.⁣

Today, she works with MDA Space's Mission Operations Engineering team, focused on improving the everyday challenges of space missions, including Canadarm2 operations on the International Space Station.

https://uwaterloo.ca/news/three-paths-one-launchpad-waterloo-co-op-canadas-space

10/08/2026

This year's Benjamin Eby Lecturer is Assistant Professor David Neufeld, presenting his talk: "Credit Worthy: Anabaptist Debt and the Material Bases of Coexistence." On Thursday, November 19, 7:30 pm, in the Grebel Chapel.

Please register in advance. Learn more at uwaterloo.ca/grebel/events/credit-worthy

10/07/2026

United by a common focus on church apologies for historical wrongs and related themes, eight scholars came together at Professor Jeremy Bergen’s invitation to write a book.

Read the full article: uwaterloo.ca/grebel/news/jeremy-bergen-church-apologies

10/06/2026

This Wednesday October 7, the Indigenous Speakers Series at the University of Waterloo is honoured to present Sarah Deer, acclaimed legal scholar and advocate widely recognized for her work addressing violence against Indigenous women and advancing Indigenous feminist approaches to law and justice.

For more information and registration, visit uwaterloo.ca/arts/events/indigenous-speakers-series-presents-sarah-deer