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It’s no secret that our everyday technologies gather personal data. But these increasingly entrenched conveniences, from Internet of Things–enabled smart TVs to online voting systems to crowdfunding platforms, can also perform harmful surveillance.

Knowing how tools track user behaviour and collect personal information is important. Understanding their implications for social inequality within Canada and globally is perhaps even more pressing. What’s more, the challenge demands multiple areas of expertise.

Scarcely a year goes by without smartphone, tablet and computer manufacturers releasing yet another new model. And this never-ending stream of improved digital products means that older devices are often disposed of, whether relegated to a junk drawer or traded-in, recycled, sold or donated to others. But when you dispose of a device, are you certain you’ve securely deleted all of your personal data?

University Professor M. Tamer Özsu has received the 2022 IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award, an honour conferred for significant technological achievements and contributions that establish, develop and proliferate innovative societal infrastructure systems through the application of information technology with an emphasis on distributed computing systems.

With exceptional leadership in the field of computer science and his dedication to making computers accessible to a wider audience, James Wesley (Wes) Graham (1932–1999) was known as the “Father of Computing” at the University of Waterloo. Serving as early director of the University of Waterloo’s Computing Centre, Wes had an active role in shaping computer science education worldwide. His experience teaching at Waterloo inspired the creation of software to support education.

The University of Waterloo crushed the competition at the 2021 International Collegiate Programming Contest North America Division Championship held virtually on August 14, 2021, finishing solidly in first place. 

A regional team linked with the University of Waterloo was named among the winners of the global Technovation Girls app development competition.

Aiuto Solutions was awarded the first-ever COVID Economic Recovery prize, recognizing their work to develop an app to connect donors and charities. The app provides a means of forging stronger relationships in the not-for-profit and NGO sectors. The name Aiuto means ‘help’ in Italian. 

Leili Rafiee Sevyeri, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cheriton School of Computer Science’s Symbolic Computation Group, is one of four recipients of the Applications of Computer Algebra Early Researcher Award.

Cheriton School of Computer Science Professor Eric Blais is one of nine researchers at the University of Waterloo to receive funding from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities through the Early Researcher Awards program. 

In one of the most memorable speeches from William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet ponders, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Her message is clear — things are what they are no matter what name they are given. 

But what if your name, or more precisely what people perceive about you from just your name, affected how your contributions are viewed and valued? 

Themelio Labs, a blockchain-based start-up founded by Cheriton School of Computer Science doctoral student Yuhao Dong, has secured $1.5 million USD in seed funding from Polychain Capital, a digital asset investment fund based in San Francisco, California. The start-up is developing Themelio, an open-source public blockchain that aims to revolutionize the way blockchains are used in security-critical software systems.