Announcing the 2026 GRADflix finalists
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2026 GRADflix competition.
After another strong year of student interest and exceptional submissions from graduate students across all six faculties, the following students have been selected to have their videos featured at the upcoming GRADflix Showcase.
GRADflix invites graduate students to create a 60-second video communicating their research to a non-specialized audience. These videos highlight students’ ability to blend research and creativity while strengthening their communication skills, expanding their networks, and gaining visibility for their work.
We invite all finalists—and their friends, families, supervisors, and the broader Waterloo community—to join us on March 10, 2026, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. at Federation Hall for the GRADflix Showcase where the finalists' videos will be premiered and prizes will be awarded. Light refreshments will be provided.
A special thank-you to our panel of judges, Parisa Sadatmousavi, Zachary McKendrick, and Jenn Willoughby, for dedicating their time and expertise to reviewing this year’s submissions and selecting the finalists from an impressive pool of entries. Winners will be announced during the showcase.
2026 GRADflix finalists
- Chuchi Chen, Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering
- Madeline Cranston, Arts, Department of Sociology and Legal Studies
- George Dumitru, Arts, Department of Philosophy
- Shilpa Gorla, Science, School of Optometry and Vision Science
- Olivia Graham, Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering
- Karen Hock, Health, School of Public Health Sciences
- Jeswin Joseph, Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
- Madeleine Kenyon, Arts, Department of Philosophy
- Kota Kitagawa, Arts, Department of Philosophy
- Ken Mawer, Math, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Alicia Pan, Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Bashirah Salami, Environment, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
- Afrah Shaik, Health, School of Recreation and Leisure Studies
- Gurpreet Singh, Environment, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
- Mina Torabi Milani, Engineering, Department of Management Science and Engineering
- Ivy Vong, Science, School of Optometry & Vision Science
- Jingnan Wang, Engineering, Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business
- Karen Ward, Arts, Department of English Language and Literature