Tuesday, July 25, 2023


Paving the way for electric vehicle adoption

A close-up photo of an electric vehicle being recharged.

By Alex Kinsella. This article originally appeared on Waterloo News.

As automobile manufacturers continue their pivot to electric vehicles (EVs), the days of the internal combustible engine are ending — and sooner than you think. In Canada, the sale of new gas-powered vehicles will end in 2035. South of the border, the U.S. is set to end the sale of new gas-powered light vehicles as early as 2025.  

For many car owners, their next purchase will be an EV. But as many current EV owners know, the environmental benefits of battery-powered cars come with a tradeoff.  

Dr. Yverick Pascal Rangom, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Waterloo, identifies that tradeoff as the driving distance existing battery technology can support. 

“Electric motors are fine,” he says. “They're extremely small and powerful. The problem is the battery, specifically how much energy they can store, their longevity, and how long they take to charge.” 

In conjunction with other researchers at Waterloo, Rangom is now working on innovations that target those limitations. In one initiative, he is leading a collaboration with fellow associate professor Dr. Michael Pope on a research project sanctioned by automotive parts manufacturer Magna. 

“The last technical hurdle we have for lithium-ion batteries — at least for electric vehicles — is fast charging,” Rangom says. “The first group to achieve this will have the most leverage and opportunity in the industry. We still have a long way to go to get this technology to everyone. It’s a big role for researchers like me and others at the University.”  

While many EVs can be plugged into a standard outlet for charging, they often take hours to reach a full charge. EV owners who forget to plug in overnight can wake up to find that their morning commute will be significantly delayed.  

A dedicated fast EV charger at home is one option. Installing these dedicated chargers has become a widely available service that home electricians provide. But while the installation cost is affordable, most existing homes do not have the electrical capacity to power them.  

Single-family homes built before the late 1980s typically have only 100-amp service. Dedicated EV chargers require additional capacity, and many homeowners must upgrade to 200-amp service. This type of upgrade can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000. 

Charging away from home is another challenge. Many municipalities and businesses have installed dedicated chargers, and manufacturers are working to build a network of fast charging stations to provide the same coverage as traditional gas stations do today.  

EV pioneer Tesla has one of the largest networks of what it calls superchargers. Tesla reported having over 40,000 superchargers available worldwide, including 17,000 in the U.S. and 147 in Canada. 

Drivers of gas-powered vehicles running on fumes know there’s almost always a gas station nearby. But even with dedicated home chargers and the growing network of public chargers, EV owners still struggle with “range anxiety,” the fear that they will be stranded because they don’t have enough battery charge to reach their destination. As we get closer to the end of the internal combustion engine era, EV manufacturers and their suppliers are working to improve charging time and battery capacity.

Waterloo researchers like Rangom are leading the way in many of these improvements. His research focuses on improving the performance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) and sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery electrodes, capacitors and future solid-state batteries.  

The work is helping to advance the fast-charging capabilities of Li-ion batteries to eliminate range anxiety and speed up the transition to our EV future. Rangom’s path to battery research started not in chemical engineering, but with a degree in mechanical engineering.  

“My first passion was vehicles, and I wanted to try to make a difference in the field,” he says. “Early on, it seemed quite clear to me that the future of vehicles would be electric. That's when I moved into the engineering of electrochemical storage devices.” 

Electric motors used in EVs are smaller and more powerful than most of their gas-powered cousins. The reduced size of an EV engine allows for more storage, most notably with the introduction of the “frunk.” The frunk is the colloquial name for the front storage area made possible by an EV’s powertrain and motor being located under the vehicle rather than in the front compartment. But as great as frunks are, EV owners must still deal with the limited capacity of batteries, battery life and slow charging times.  

Chemical batteries like those found in EVs have two sides — the anode and the cathode. During charging, a chemical reaction occurs in the battery, electrons are released from the cathode side and pass through the circuit toward the anode side. 

Rangom’s research primarily involves improving the anode side, which typically uses graphite or silicon. He is exploring alternative electrode architectures to replace the non-conductive structural elements of today’s electrodes to achieve faster charging.  

“I'm trying not to stray from lithium-ion batteries because we already have a lot of infrastructure that is in place,” he says. 

2023 JD Leslie Grad Award winner working hard to make this world a better place for humans and non-humans alike

By Janice Cooke.

Maria Shamim in convocation regalia holding her diploma.Maria Shamim is the recipient of the 2023 James D. Leslie Graduate Award. She completed the Master of Environment and Business (MEB) program in Spring of 2022 with exceptional grades and a rewarding career as a research analyst at an environmental-education company.

She chose the University of Waterloo’s online MEB program as it seemed a perfect fit for her interests and her background in business and journalism, and she recognized that Waterloo “is famous worldwide for its academic rigour and well-reputed among employers.” She felt the online program was probably the only realistic solution for her – a newcomer to Canada trying to build a life from scratch in a new country.

Maria says the "MEB degree has been a life-changing decision for me, both personally and professionally...[it] gave me a sense of belonging, which was invaluable to me as a newcomer to Canada." It was especially meaningful as she is the first and only woman in her family to succeed in higher education. Earning her degree allowed her to escape the bleak future many women in Pakistan face.

In her application Maria wrote "I value my academic accolades deeply and I will work hard every day to give back, in whatever little way I can, to make this world a better place for humans and non-humans alike."

New Faculty Teaching Days just around the corner

A message from the Centre for Teaching Excellence.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence will be hosting our annual New Faculty Teaching Days on August 15 through August 18, 2023. This event is intended for new faculty (of any stream) who have arrived since September 1 of last year (2022) as well as any new faculty who were unable to attend our sessions last year or are new to their current teaching assignment.

The August New Faculty Teachings Days allow instructors to complete all the workshops that form the core of our New Faculty offerings at a timely point before the start of the fall term so may be of particular value to those teaching in the fall term and/or new to teaching and Waterloo. Individual session descriptions and registration are available at the New Faculty Teaching Days website.

Writing and Communication Centre offices closed this week

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Writing and Communication Centre's offices and The Write Spot in South Campus Hall will be closed this week (July 24 – 28)," says a note from the WCC. "All appointments will be moved online, drop-ins will be held virtually, and other programs will be moved or rescheduled. Please visit our website for more information."

Link of the day

Kevin Mitnick, once the world's most wanted hacker, dead at 59

When and Where 

Waterloo Warriors Youth Camps. Spring and Summer camps available for Boys and Girls ages 5-18. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey and Multi-Sport and Games. Register today.

Half Price Climbing and Fitness Membership for the remainder of the term. Purchase now.

Student Health Pharmacy in the basement of the Student Life Centre is now offering Covid booster shots (Pfizer and Moderna) and flu shots. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for an appointment. Walk-ins always welcome.

WUSA Thrift Fill-a-bag sale, Tuesday, July 25 to Friday, August 4, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., SLC lower atrium. 

MathSoc Games Night with Profs, Tuesday, July 25, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., MC C and D.

Food Truck Wednesday brought you by UW Food Services, Wednesday, July 26,  11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Arts Quad.

What is Social Innovators In Training? Wednesday, July 26, 12 noon, Zoom. Register now.

Retirement open house for Shirley Lokker, Wednesday, July 26, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., E2 1772 (Engineering Undergraduate Office) Light refreshments will be served.

You don't know what you don't know Part 2 (virtual workshop), Wednesday, July 26, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Trivia Night @ Graduate House, Wednesday, July 26, 6:00 p.m., Grad House.

Shad Waterloo 2023 Open Day Exhibits, Thursday, July 27, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel Great Hall.

CAUGHT: Film screening and community building receptionThursday, July 27, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Historical Inquiries: Illuminating the Past Through Student Symposium, Thursday, July 27, 5:00 p.m., HH 117 (MacKirdy Reading Room) or via Zoom. View the sign-up sheet.

Music Bingo @ Graduate House, Thursday, July 27, 6:00 p.m., Grad House.

Systems Design Engineering Alumni Virtual RoundtablesThursday, July 27, 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Zoom.

SLC Therapy Dogs, Friday, July 28, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., Black and Gold Room.

Rock Your Thesis, Friday, July 28, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Women's Centre and RAISE end-of-term picnic, Friday, July 28, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Columbia Lake fire pit.

Office of Sustainability BioBlitz, Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29, main campus.

Summer in the City: Jazz Ensemble Concert, Sunday, July 30, 2:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College Great Hall (Room 1111). $10/$5 students & seniors. Reception to follow. Tickets available at the door.

Instrumental Chamber Ensemble Concert, Sunday, July 30, 7:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College, Chapel. Free admission, reception to follow.

Make-up day for May 23, Tuesday, August 1.

Classes and lectures end, Tuesday, August 1.

Integrated Renewable-based Power, Electrified Transport, and Hydrogen Systems, Tuesday, August 1, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., E7 4043.

Bobbie Chew Bigby - Indigenous Internationalism: journeys of meaningful connections between countries, communities, and cultures, Tuesday, August 1, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., EXP 1689.

Pre-examination study days, Wednesday, August 2 and Thursday, August 3.

Final examination period, Friday, August 4 to Saturday, August 19.

August Civic Holiday, Monday, August 7, most University operations and buildings closed.

Land Skills for Wellness and Sustainability Project, Herbals for Managing Stress, Tuesday, August 8, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Physiological Measures for Games and VR: Novel Tools and Approaches, Wednesday, August 9, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., EC1 1323 and online.

Machine Talk: Speech in Human-Agent Interaction, Thursday, August 10, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., EC1 1323 and online

Centre for Teaching Excellence New Faculty Teaching Days, Tuesday, August 15 to Friday, August 18. Registration is required

Music Ensemble Auditions start on Wednesday, September 6. 

When and Where to get support 

Check out the support listings for faculty, staff and students.

PhD oral defences

Chemistry. Volition La, “Selection and characterization of an aptamer to a thiazole orange derivative for use in a fluorescence-based biosensor.” Supervisor, Dr. Thorsten Dieckmann. Please visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy. Oral defence Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., Chemistry 2 Building (C2) Room 361.

Physics and Astronomy. Andrew Reeves, “Star Formation and Quenching in Galaxies: Groups, Clusters, and Mergers.” Supervisor, Dr. Michael Hudson. Please visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy. Oral defence Tuesday, July 25, 2:00 p.m., Physics Building (PHY) Room 308 and remote.

Computer Science. Amine Mhedhbi, "GraphflowDB: Scalable Query Processing on Graph- Structured Relations." Supervisor, Dr. Semih Salihoglu. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Wednesday, July 26, 9:00 a.m., online.

Physics and Astronomy. Maxence Corman, “Black holes in cosmological spacetimes and alternative theories of gravity.” Supervisors, Dr. William East, Dr. Niayesh Afshordi. Please visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy. Oral defence Wednesday, July 26, 3:00 p.m, Physics Building (PHY) Room 352 and remote.

Combinatorics and Optimization. Sabrina Lato, "Distance-Biregular Graphs and Orthogonal Polynomials." Supervisor, Dr. Chris Godsil. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Thursday, July 27, 10:00 a.m., MC 5417.