Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Previous | Next

• Global Futures: Stealth quantum sensors unlock possibilities anywhere GPS doesn’t work

• A day of AI Discovery

• SIGNAL Summit builds more just and resilient digital futures

• The who, the what, and the when on a Wednesday

Global Futures: Stealth quantum sensors unlock possibilities anywhere GPS doesn’t work

This article is presented as part of the Global Futures: Innovation Update.

As commercial interest in quantum technologies accelerates, entrepreneurial minds at the University of Waterloo are not waiting for opportunities — they are creating them.

​Among them is Alex Maierean (MMath ‘24), CEO of Phantom Photonics and part-time PhD student at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). Her startup is developing ultra-sensitive quantum sensors that can filter out background noise and detect the faintest signals, even down to a single photon — the smallest unit of light. This offers new levels of precision and stealth for industries operating in extreme environments, from the depths of the ocean ​to outer spac​e.

Read the full story in the Global Futures: Innovation Update

A day of AI Discovery

A message from Pavol Chvala, Director, AI Innovation and Systems Development.

Last week, more than 200 members of the University community braved the freezing rain on Wednesday, February 18 for the inaugural AI Discovery Day held in the Science Teaching Complex.

The event was designed to share, promote, and grow AI talent, skills, and solutions across campus and was organized by an interdisciplinary team spanning IST, faculty members and various administrative groups across campus.

In my role as Director, AI Innovation and Systems Development, my mandate is to lead initiatives in AI, automation, and enterprise application support while contributing to the University’s responsible AI principles and governance efforts. I am also active in advancing institutional readiness for AI adoption through frameworks, experimentation, and campus engagement: enter AI Discovery Day.

At the event, faculty and staff presenters covered an interdisciplinary range of topics and engaged with a participatory audience. The program included an interactive mix of keynote speakers, panel discussions, lightning round talks, and workshops.

My big takeaway from the event:it’s not news that we have a strong and engaged community, but the AI Discovery Day really demonstrated a strong appetite to get together as a community to discuss, debate, and learn from one another.

At the event, we posted an in-person AI Discovery Wall to take a pulse check from attendees. When asked “what is most important to further advancing AI at Waterloo?” the top response was “AI skills training and literacy,” followed by “ethics and responsible use” and “data privacy and security.”

“What excites me most is the momentum we’re building toward human‑centric innovation,” Stephanie Whitney, Director, Research & Innovation Partnerships in the Faculty of Math wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “At the Future of Work Institute, we’re advancing interdisciplinary research, hands-on educational models, and deep community engagement to ensure AI enhances human dignity, agency, and flourishing.”

“A personal highlight was the Lightning Round showcase featuring faculty, researchers, graduate students, and staff from across campus: translation pedagogy, LLM-powered grading, AI-assisted teaching, chatbots, Copilot, and so much more,” wrote Michael Dorr, Associate Vice-President, Marketing and Brand Strategy on LinkedIn. “Common themes emerged: understanding AI’s limitations, recognizing the uniquely human value we bring, and a commitment to responsible use.”

“The University's first AI Discovery Day was an enormous success, thanks to the organizing committee made up of over 15 people from across campus,” writes Gregory Smith, Chief Information Officer. “The panel discussion and lightning-round presentations demonstrated outstanding work being done on our campus to use AI technologies to enhance our teaching, research and efficient administration of the University, as well as the important ethical, technical and data privacy considerations for the safe adoption of these transformative tools.”

If you attended the event, or even if you didn’t, please fill out the post-event survey to help organizers with their future plans.

I would like to personally thank the speakers and volunteers who made the inaugural AI Discovery Day possible. Special thanks go to volunteers Joe Radman, Yifei Zhao, Nathan Lee, Michael Dorr, Chun Chih Chen, Matthew Babela, Rebecca Hutchinson, Gwendoline Nubila, Kate Mercer, Randy Dauphin, and others who made the inaugural AI Discovery Day possible.

More events like AI Discovery Day are in the works, so stay tuned for future announcements.

SIGNAL Summit builds more just and resilient digital futures

By Wendy Philpott.

On March 4, 5 and 6 the SIGNAL Summit brings together researchers, students and practitioners working at the intersections of gender justice, digital media, technology, and social futures.

One of Waterloo’s eight Global Futures initiatives, the Strategies for Intersectional Gender-Justice, Networked Action, and Liberation (SIGNAL) Network is led by Drs. Brianna Wiens (English) and Shana MacDonald (Communication Arts). The project addresses the urgent challenges of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, online radicalization, and systemic digital inequity in contemporary life.

Next week’s Summit emerges from the work of SIGNAL and specifically invites University of Waterloo faculty, staff, and students, along with external partners, to engage in any or all of the keynote talks, panels, and workshops during the three-day event.

“I'm particularly excited about the range of voices we've gathered,” says Wiens, “from Jillian Hunchak, who is helping Canada rethink its approach to preventing radicalization, to Jaigris Hodson's analysis of how far-right influencers avoid accountability for their harmful rhetoric, to our own students presenting original research across gender, technology, and social media. Woven throughout are creative sessions and social spaces, because we wanted this Summit to feel as much like a community as a conference.” 

Grounded in feminist, anti-racist, queer, and care-centered approaches, the Summit focuses on strengthening support networks, advancing research on digital harm, radicalization, and online violence, and mobilizing collective knowledge.

“There is a clear need for spaces that allow scholars and practitioners to think together across disciplines, career stages, and sectors, while also prioritizing ethical engagement, sustainability, and community care,” says MacDonald. “The March Summit was designed to meet that need by creating a structured but flexible environment for conversation, skill sharing, and collective planning.”

Summit is free to all and some sessions are available both in-person and online. See the full Summit schedule and registration details.

The who, the what, and the when on a Wednesday

The Fruit and Veggie Market continues today with three locations: the Student Life Centre's lower atrium, the 1st floor of Pearl Sullivan Engineering, and the 1st floor of Environment 3. The markets run from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. while supplies last. As always, $10 will get you a pre-packaged bag of vegetables or fruit, and individual items will also be available for sale.

This week's Noon Hour Concert features Wondrous Winds. "The KW Woodwind Quintet will perform pieces by French composers from the late 19^th and early 20^th Century, and all of them are connected to the Conservatoire de Paris, either as teachers or students," says a note from the Music department. "Claude Debussy, Gabriel Pierné, and Paul Taffanel were part of the turn of the century movement to establish a distinctly French style, emphasizing clarity, colour, and elegance, as opposed to the heavy Germanic Romantic tradition."

Members of the quintet include:

• Wendy Wagler, flute;
• Sarah Cardwell, oboe;
• Barbara Hankins, clarinet;
• Trevor Wagler, horn; and
• Oskar Martinez, bassoon

The concert takes place today at 12 noon in the Conrad Grebel chapel. Admission is free.

Velocity is hosting a Cooperathon 2026 Information Session today from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. online in partnership with Desjardins. "Cooperathon is a Canada-wide free entrepreneurial program that helps develop an innovative idea to start a business or advance academic research, culminating in a competition offering cash prizes and personalized support to empower projects with the highest social, environmental, or economic impact potential come to life," says a note from Velocity. "Whether you are discovering Cooperathon or have already attended one of our sessions, this meeting is for you!" Attendees can learn how to win up to $100,000 in cash prizes.

Employers hosting Employer Information Sessions this week and next week include Atomic Semi, Arlo Technologies, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, Proactive AI Lab: Palona AI, GigsUp, PowerCo Canada, and BMO Capital Markets.

Register if you plan on attending through the Employer Information Sessions calendar on WaterlooWorks and check for any updates.