News

Designing nano electrocatalysts, quantum simulations of particle interactions and trapped ions are three Waterloo Science research projects broadening disciplinary horizons and delivering real-world impact. Waterloo scientists Anna Klinkova, Christine Muschnik and Crystal Senko each received funding through the Government of Ontario's 2022 Early Researcher Awards program. 

Congratulations to Professors Andrea Edginton, Anna Klinkova and Rebecca Rooney for being awarded the 2022 Faculty of Science Excellence in Science Research Awards!

We wish to acknowledge the outstanding efforts and achievements of the following Winter 2022 Undergraduate/Graduate TA Award winners. Through these challenging times the very positive attitude and teaching skills of these individuals has had considerable impact on enhancing the reputation of our undergraduate programs. 

The Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student recognizes up to four students from across the University of Waterloo for excellence in teaching of all kinds (e.g., teaching assistant, laboratory demonstrator, sessional lecturer) by registered students.

This year, two of the four winners were from the Faculty of Science: Justin Shmordok, a PhD student in Chemistry, and Urja Nandivada, an undergraduate in Physics and Astronomy.

The Department of Chemistry would like to announce this year's award winners for the Don E. Irish Graduate Award: Songhao Bao (Nooijen), Meixin Cheng (Sciaini), Feng Li (Klinkova), Frank Guan (Leung), and Hunter Little (Duhamel). 

The honour is awarded annually to “full-time graduate students completing their graduate degree in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science on the basis of demonstrated excellence. “

Two researchers in the Faculty of Science have received funding from the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF): Holger Kleinke from the Department of Chemistry and Will Percival from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The projects were part of two competitions: the 2021 Exploration competition and the NFRF special call on Innovative Approaches to Research in the Pandemic Context.

Pharmaceutical drugs often take advantage of a specific shape in order to bind to the biological target. Some molecules, however, can exist with two versions that are mirror images of each other, similar to a left-handed and right-handed pair of gloves. In the body, often only one of the two molecules is an active pharmaceutical drug due to the difference in shape.

A new study shows that smoke from wildfires destroys the ozone layer. Researchers caution that if major fires become more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground.

Congratulations to Professor Linda Nazar , who was awarded the 2022 E.W.R. Steacie Award by the Chemical Institute of Canada. The award is presented to “a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution to chemistry while working in Canada."

Professor Scott Hopkins has been named the winner of the 2022 Keith Laidler Award for his outstanding early-career contributions to physical chemistry in Canada.