Feature

Upgrade your skills while working full-time

In math, as in life, there’s never just one way to arrive at the right answer. It’s why a flexible, learning-centred approach to education just makes sense.

Athletics and academics unite in former Warrior’s career

Sport management expert Norm O’Reilly (BSc ’97) shares his experience in a booming industry.

Alumni & Friends Bring Their Warrior Spirit To Giving Tuesday

On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday has become the unofficial opening day of the giving season. The Giving Tuesday movement is taking root around the world, in our communities, and, thanks to your thoughtful generosity, right here on our campus.

Beyond reality – true-to-life AR experiences

Alumni Council member and alumnus Vikas Gupta (BSc ’91) is the co-founder and CEO of AVARA, a company creating innovative technology to enable compelling and immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences that transport people to the most unique places, moments, and interactions around the world far beyond their imagination.

Science alumnus and entrepreneur creates graduate student fellowship to accelerate solutions for health and wellness

Alumnus and entrepreneur Bill Rickert (PhD ’68) is giving generously to the University of Waterloo to honour two professors who changed the course of his career, and to empower the next generation of scientists in biomedicine, biotechnology, and nanomedicine.

Unlocking the Future of Learning

Depending on your vantage point, the pace of change in the past few decades may seem exhilarating or frightening.

Fostering a creative and entrepreneurial ecosystem at UWaterloo

UWaterloo Velocity alumni Henry Shi and Hussein Fazal are changing the face of travel through their startup SnapTravel , while also making time to help current Waterloo students with their entrepreneurial ventures and signing up for the StartUp Pledge to support the next generation of innovators.

Beyond today - the future of Reunion

To keep Reunion as engaging as possible for alumni in years to come, we asked for your feedback … and we listened!

Revisit, Reunite, Relive at Reunion 2018

Show your Waterloo pride and come back to campus on Saturday, September 22 for Reunion 2018.

Flying high with Cirque du Soleil-An Alumnus’ story

Trapeze artist Xander Taylor (BSc ’09) recently joined Cirque du Soleil's show TOTEM performing his duo trapeze act with partner Mélanie Dupuis for their European tour. No stranger to the stage, Xander began his journey as a performer from an early age as an artistic gymnast, a Canadian competitive diver, and was involved in theatre and public speaking competitions.

Supporting the Waterloo Warriors - An alumnus’ story

Tom Fejes (BMath ’86) has been a monthly donor to the Waterloo Warriors Football program since 2002. While not a former student-athlete himself, Tom became a dedicated donor after attending the football game in London that saw the Warriors defeat the Western Mustangs for their first Yates Cup victory in 1997. After witnessing the victory, Tom was impressed by the dedication of the student-athletes, and wanted to help alleviate the costs of running the football program anyway he could.

Campus Wayfinding Project Update

In 2017 the University of Waterloo launched the Campus Wayfinding Project designed to: · Create a sense of arrival and place; · Improve the campus navigation experience; · Develop a uniform, integrated and scalable wayfinding system.

Alumnus works to reduce preventable infant and maternal mortality

Karima Ladhani (BMath ’10) began her journey in the public service and health sector as a volunteer at various institutions devoted to improving public health outcomes while an undergrad at Waterloo. Driven by interdisciplinary approaches to health, and a commitment to helping mothers and children, she founded Barakat Bundle a curated bundle of life-saving solutions and health education to support mothers and their newborns and prevent infant and maternal mortality in South Asia.

How alumnus' success started with her co-op employer

When Debra Kakaria (BA ’93) began her first of several co-op work terms with MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited (MHBC), she had no idea that she would one day become a partner of this firm.

Waterloo Region’s Jack of All Trades

Alumnus Mike Farwell (BA ’97) is the host of the Mike Farwell Show on 570 News, the voice of the Kitchener Rangers, and a force in the Waterloo Region.

Getting the band back together: a giving story

When Michael Symonds (BMath ’00) talks about finding study space on the sixth floor of the Math and Computer building, it sounds like he’s letting you in on a secret. “There’s about a thousand doors,” he says, “and if you’re a student, you kind of know the four that are unlocked.”

Depression to Expression: An Alumnus Shares His Journey

Former St. Paul’s residence don and alumnus Scott Ste Marie (BES ’13) is the host of the YouTube channel and website Depression to Expression, which explores the causes of depression and anxiety and provides proven techniques to overcome symptoms. Drawing upon his own struggles, Scott provides viewers with proven tools to combat their mental illness and provide a community of support.

Award-winning craft brewery keeps alumnus and co-op student hopping

When Steve Innocente (BSc ’96) parlayed his craft brewing hobby into an award-winning business, he also tapped into the opportunity to reconnect with Waterloo as a co-op employer, vendor, and faculty member.

Alumnus receives Order of Ontario

Alumnus Dr. Tom Chau (PhD ’98), vice president of research and senior scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Holland Bloorview), was awarded the highest honour in the province, the Order of Ontario. The Order of Ontario recognizes esteemed individuals whose excellence contributes to the province and leaves a legacy.

Alumni Spotlight with Helene Cummins - Full Professor, Bresica Univeristy

Helene Cummins (PhD ‘ 96) is a tenured full Professor at Brescia University, Western University and was awarded the 2016 Status of Women Award of Distinction though the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Alumni Relations had the chance to catch up with Helene to ask her some questions and talk about life after Waterloo.

TEDxUW 2017: Defying Conventions

This past October, the student-led TEDxUW 2017 event welcomed more than 500 delegates to their annual one-day conference. It was a historic moment for the event and its 26 student organizers as previous events only accommodated 100 delegates. Doors were open to students, University staff and faculty members, alumni, and community members.

Alumni and friends show their love for UWaterloo

The excitement on and beyond campus was contagious on November 28 when a small but mighty group of proud and generous alumni offered up a #GivingTuesday challenge over social media.

Outstanding alumni recognized at the President's 60th Anniversary Gala

On December 2, recipients of the 60th Anniversary Alumni Awards were honoured at a gala hosted by University president Feridun Hamdullahpur.

North Campus Field House coming Fall 2018

The north campus of the University of Waterloo will look a little bit different come next fall. With a $41-million expansion to connect the Student Life Centre (SLC) and Physical Activities Complex (PAC) well underway, ground will be broken on a new 70, 654 square foot field house by January.

Co-op Connections Pay Off For These Alumni

Matt Paznar (BASc ‘05) will never forget his first co-op work term. After securing a position at engineering and environmental consulting firm R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited, he arrived in the office just after the Walkerton drinking water E. coli outbreak made news in 2000.

Where UWaterloo Meets AI

The University of Waterloo is a leader in a number of frontier research disciplines placing it amongst the most respected Universities in the world and changing the way we live, communicate, work, travel and connect.

Alumnus Empowers Healthcare Communities Through Collaboration

Yuri Quintana (PhD ’95) is the Director of Global Health Informatics in the Division of Clinical Informatics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Quintana’s research is focused on developing innovative technologies and systems that empower communities of healthcare professionals, patients and families to collaborate on a worldwide basis.

Moving (Back) into Residence

Launching the First Alumni in Residence Program

This year the University of Waterloo is launching the Get Ready for: Life After Graduation program, which involves two alumni living in residence who will serve as mentors and help students develop the skills needed to be successful post-graduation.

Ramping up Accessibility Support with StopGap

After sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2002, Luke Anderson (BASc '02) became frustrated with inaccessible spaces. Since then he has founded the StopGap Foundation, a charitable organization that aims to create a barrier free world.

Rolling into Our 60th Year in Black and Gold

Reunion 2017 joins the University of Waterloo’s milestone year as it celebrates 60 years of innovation on September 29-30.

Music Builds Community at UWaterloo

Students at the University of Waterloo are an incredibly diverse group, with interests spanning math, health, engineering, science, environment, and arts. Many of these students have spent hundreds of hours of their life learning a musical instrument and, instead of giving up their love of music while at university, they have found a collective place to express it. The orchestra@uwaterloo is a full-sized symphony orchestra whose players are students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Waterloo.

Trading Power: Alumnus Brings Retail Solar Tech to Singapore

Matthew Peloso (BSc ‘04) is revolutionizing the sustainable energy sector by empowering cities to produce and consume clean energy through breakthrough technologies.

Alumni Spotlight with William Zhou- CEO Chalk.com

William Zhou (BMath ’15) co-founder and CEO of Chalk.com, an education software company focused in K-12, has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a young age, founding his first company in high school.

Combining Cultures Through Art

Mark Yungblut (BSW ’04) is a Canadian artist who’s always been intrigued by Japanese art and culture.

Convocation 2017 Joins 60 Years of Innovation Celebrations

The 114th convocation ceremonies are taking place June 13-17 with more than 5,500 degrees set to be conferred amongst Waterloo’s undergraduate, masters, and doctoral candidates.

Alumni Reimagine Medical Technology

Four Waterloo engineering classmates are working together to reimagine medical technology in operating rooms across North America.

Peace and Conflict Studies Grads Create a Strong Society

Parents of prospective Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) students often ask, “What kind of job will my child get after graduation?”

The Untapped Excellence of Junior Co-ops

 Kate Salmon (BA ’11), intentionally hires first term co-op students like Tatianna because she loves how easy they are to teach.

A Community Committed to Action on Mental Health

University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur is fully committed to improving mental health on campus.

Young Alumnus Makes her Mark in Psychology

Danielle Rice (BA ’12) has excelled in research and clinical work with the goal of bridging gaps in mental health research.

A Quantum Co-op

Neil Sinclair (BSc ’07) took his co-op placements into his own hands while a student at the University of Waterloo, seeking a position that he hoped would expand his interest in physics by sending mass emails out to leaders in the field who might be willing to take him on as an apprentice.

Waterloo helps kinesiology come to life at the Ontario Science Centre

Ever wonder how blood gets up to a giraffe’s head, how squishy earthworms manage to dig in hard ground or how much stronger the hyena’s bite is than a human’s? From now until May 7, the University of Waterloo is partnering with the Ontario Science Centre to give visitors a hands-on look at the science behind these and many other marvels of natural engineering that drive human and animal movement.

Teaching the Facts of Life

Psychologist Jillian Roberts (BA ’91) helped parents around the world reduce the awkwardness of explaining to children where babies come from with her app, The Facts of Life, which tells the story of how babies are made using a story-telling approach and gentle, familiar imagery.

University of Waterloo: 60 Years of Innovation

In 2017, the University of Waterloo celebrates 60 years of innovation and our impactful alumni and donors are a big part of this milestone.

QUANTUM: The Exhibition

Did you know that the human eye can detect single photons? Or that quantum random number generators are being used by online casinos? Quantum information science and technology is making its way out of labs and into the fabric of everyday life.

The Economics of Fashion

Candace Lau’s (BA ’13) up-and-coming contemporary outerwear label, Candace Daniela, graced the runways at Toronto Fashion Week and Toronto Men’s Fashion week in 2016, bringing luxury fabrics to high fashion.

Celebrating Our Supporters

November 15 is National Philanthropy Day, and we’re joining the celebration by paying tribute to everyone who supports the University of Waterloo.

Steeping in Success

Rick Ha (BASc’00, MASc’02, PhD ’06) and Karen Wan (BA'02, MAcc ’03) are the founders of Qi Aerista, a smart tea maker that allows you to brew that perfect cup of tea right at home.

UWaterloo in Asia

University of Waterloo faculty and staff travelled to Asia this week to meet with international alumni and partners and participate in two alumni events that will connect and engage close to 400 alumni and friends.

Championing Success and Giving Back

While only the Chief Financial Officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for less than a year, Nakisa Bidarian (BA ’01), has already led the UFC in one of the largest sports transactions in history.