Wednesday, March 5, 2025

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• Scaling the electric vehicle economy

• Nourish to flourish: March is Nutrition Month

• Meet JADA, the AI assistant expanding job opportunities for Waterloo students

• Have your say on the future of campus today

• Inclusive Excellence event and other notes

Scaling the electric vehicle economy

This is one of several stories published in the Global Futures Innovation Update.

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption speeds up, Canada's capacity to produce batteries is struggling to keep pace with the growing demand.

The Ontario Battery and Electrochemistry Research Centre (OBEC) is at the forefront of Canada's efforts to scale the EV economy. Co-led by Dr. Linda Nazar and Dr. Michael Pope, the centre brings together an interdisciplinary team focused on addressing key challenges in battery technologies.

“Lithium is becoming increasingly scarce, and our current infrastructure is not equipped to meet the rising number of EV drivers,” Pope says. This scarcity, coupled with limited charging infrastructure highlight the pressing need for next-generation battery technology and a scalable energy ecosystem.

OBEC researchers are exploring alternative elements to lithium-based batteries, such as zinc and sodium, to reduce reliance on scarce materials and improve battery performance.

The centre's work also aims to innovate and train the next generation of talent equipped to support the growing EV battery industry. OBEC’s efforts extend beyond the lab through strong industry partnerships, including automakers and energy companies.

“Canada could have tremendous technologies in this field. It’s not a matter of capability but of ramping up our efforts and creating a supportive environment for innovation and industry growth,” Nazar says.

​Read the full story on Waterloo News

Nourish to flourish: March is Nutrition Month

A message from Campus Wellness.

During the month of March, Registered Dietitians (RD) across the country come together to celebrate the diverse field of nutrition and to help Canadians build knowledge and understanding of the connections between food, nutrition, and health.   

This year’s Nutrition Month theme, Nourish to Flourish, focuses on the powerful role nutrition plays in helping individuals and communities thrive. Over the next month we will be highlighting the role nutrition plays in physical, mental, sociocultural and emotional wellbeing. 

The focus this week is on Physical Wellbeing.

Nutrition is important for good health across the lifespan.  

Food provides energy and nourishment to our bodies that supports growth, physical health and performance, and disease prevention and management across the lifespan. Nutrition supports a healthy immune system, can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and enables us to thrive in our everyday activities. 

Tips to consider:  

• Incorporating carbohydrates, proteins, and fibre at your meals can help you to feel energized throughout the day and supports regular blood sugar levels  
• Nourishing your body (and your brain!) throughout the day can help you to feel focused and productive  
• Consider including simple enjoyable activities in your everyday routine, such as walking with a friend at lunch or attending a yoga class  
• Stay hydrated – include water and other fluids throughout the day. Keeping a reusable bottle and using the refill stations can help! 

Meet JADA, the AI assistant expanding job opportunities for Waterloo students

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

For co-op students, securing a co-op job has always required persistence. The process of scanning job boards, tailoring resumes, and submitting applications to multiple employers can feel like a full-time commitment, often pulling focus from coursework and other responsibilities.

Recognizing this challenge, the University of Waterloo is introducing a new AI-powered tool designed to simplify that experience for its students. JADA, short for Job Aggregator Digital Assistant, is a new AI assistant created to help students navigate the job search more efficiently. Developed by the University of Waterloo in collaboration with Microsoft and powered by Azure OpenAI Service, JADA expands access to job opportunities while offering real-time support for co-op students.

General home screen for Job Aggregator Digital Assistant (JADA), the new AI-powered tool on the Waterloo Portal website.

Evan Yan, a Waterloo co-op student who worked on the project, understands first-hand what it is like to secure a co-op job. “The job aggregator provides more possible jobs for students to apply for,” he said. “It’s nice to have a collection of job boards consolidated into one place. And the digital assistant provides ease of access to the answers students would typically ask an advisor.”

For a university with one of the world’s largest co-op programs, the introduction of JADA represents a significant step forward in supporting students as they prepare for the workforce.

Read the full story on Waterloo News.

Have your say on the future of campus today

By Sam Toman.

Inclusive Excellence event and other notes

The Faculty of Science is hosting Inclusive Excellence: Strategies for Broadening Participation and Improving Belonging in STEM tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Speaking will be Dr. André K. Isaacs, Associate Professor, College of the Holy Cross.

"STEM educators have long been reluctant to incorporate social issues in their curriculum and mentoring conversations," says the talk's abstract. "We deem the field to be one that is deeply technical and objective, leaving no room for integrating the culture of the students we teach. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for educators to be effective in the classroom if we continue to decouple students’ lived experiences from their academic learning. This talk will focus on modern strategies that capitalize on the unique learning styles of the younger generation, with special attention to students from historically marginalized groups, to broaden participation in STEM. I will discuss how to incorporate Gen-Z culture in the classroom, tools for students to educate themselves and how to fuse digital media with academic learning."

The event takes place in Room 1012 in the Science Teaching Complex. Register is required.

The Noon Hour Concert series continues today with From Western to Eastern Europe, Jung Tsai (violin) and Felix Hong (piano) will perform Schnittke’s polka and Schubert’s Fantasie in C Major.

The concert takes place at 12 noon at Conrad Grebel Chapel. Admission is free.

Game 1 of the OUA hockey semifinals takes place tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Columbia Icefield as the Women's Hockey Warriors take the ice against Nipissing. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Get your tickets now.