Two Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) graduate students from the University of Waterloo returned from Italy with international recognition after participating in the 15th Asia-Pacific-Euro Summer School on Smart Structures Technology (APESS) and the 17th ANCRiSST Workshop at Politecnico di Torino.
Oscar Hurtado and Luis Marquez joined 58 graduate students from around the world for the prestigious program, which brought together emerging researchers and leading experts in structural health monitoring, structural control, and smart structures technology.
Over the course of the program, participants attended lectures on structural health monitoring, control systems, and topology optimization, while also taking part in technical visits to notable engineering sites including the Regina Margherita Bridge and EUCENTRE’s renowned shake-table laboratories. Students also spent intensive days collaborating in the FabLab with multidisciplinary teams representing more than a dozen countries.
Both Waterloo students emerged as leaders within their international design teams. Hurtado’s team captured first place in the structural health monitoring competition, developing a topologically optimized structural design that minimized earthquake response. The team then monitored and updated their model to evaluate and improve the structure’s performance.
Marquez’s team was recognized with the award for Best Presentation, highlighting the strength of their research and project delivery.
While the awards marked a successful conclusion to the program, both students said the experience's greatest value lies in the new ideas and questions they will bring back to their research at Waterloo.
By working alongside peers and researchers from across the globe, Hurtado and Marquez gained not only technical expertise, but also fresh perspectives that will help shape the next stage of their academic and professional careers.
The achievements showcase the global impact of Waterloo’s graduate students and the Faculty of Engineering’s commitment to developing future leaders in resilient infrastructure and smart structures research.
