Monday, August 10, 2026

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• Partnering to lead AI transformation across organizations

• Two Waterloo graduates named among Canada's leading innovators

• Monday's notes

Partnering to lead AI transformation across organizations

Waterloo and Cohere staff

This is an excerpt from an article that was originally published on Waterloo News.

The University of Waterloo is partnering with Cohere, a Canadian-founded artificial intelligence (AI) company and global leader in sovereign AI, to develop new ways for students to learn how to lead AI transformation inside organizations.

Through the partnership, Cohere will support Waterloo’s Future of Work Institute in developing a new AI Transformation and Change Management certificate. The program will equip students with the practical skills needed to help workplaces adopt AI securely, responsibly and in ways that address real operational challenges.

Cohere, which builds trusted AI solutions for highly regulated industries including finance, health care, manufacturing, and the public sector, is investing in Waterloo’s Future of Work Institute to help shape a new approach to preparing students for transformation roles.

“Canada has one of the strongest AI talent pipelines in the world, and the University of Waterloo has played a defining role in building it,” says Joelle Pineau, Chief AI Officer at Cohere. “By giving students hands-on experience helping organizations identify and implement practical AI opportunities, we’re preparing the next generation to lead AI transformation while strengthening Canada’s position as a leader in secure, sovereign AI.”

The partnership will support the development and launch of the new certificate in fall 2026. A core component of the program will be structured co-op opportunities that give students experience working directly with organizations, while allowing the University and its partners to continually improve the approach based on what they learn.

Read the full story on Waterloo News.

Two Waterloo graduates named among Canada's leading innovators 

Two University of Waterloo graduates have been named among Canada's leading innovators in The Logic's annual Top Prospects list, which recognizes 12 engineering and computer science graduates expected to shape Canada's future through innovation. 

Mechanical engineering graduate Matthew Gordon and computer science graduate Josiah Plett were selected for their technical achievements, leadership and early career impact. 

Matthew Gordon

Mechanical engineering graduate Matthew Gordon has been fascinated by space since he was three years old, when his parents introduced him to NASA Space Shuttle documentaries.  
 
At Waterloo, he turned that childhood interest into hands-on experience through the Waterloo Rocketry team, helping design, build and launch Canada's first liquid-fuelled rocket. After internships at Rocket Lab and Rocket Factory, Gordon joined SpaceX as a propulsion engineer. "Watching a rocket launch, you can't really compare it to anything else," he told The Logic.

He now develops high-fidelity fluid system models for Starship's booster, bringing together his lifelong passion and career. 

Josiah Plett

Computer science graduate Josiah Plett began programming in elementary school and turned that passion into an early success while still a Waterloo student. By his second year, he had sold his game, Split Second, to Coolmath Games. "I got pretty lucky," he told The Logic.  The publication also recognized his mentorship of fellow students through innovation talks, résumé reviews and career discussions. Today, Plett works at accounting startup Maxima and hopes to one day launch a business of his own.

The annual list recognizes graduates whose work spans fields including artificial intelligence, space exploration, sustainable mining and accessible technology. This is the ninth year The Logic has published its Top Prospects feature.

Read the full article, "Meet Canada’s leading innovators from the Class of 2026" from The Logic. Subscription required.

Monday's notes

The Centre for Teaching Excellence is offering a number of workshops this week to support new faculty members such as Course Design Foundations, Assessment as Learning, and Working Effectively with TAs. Find out more about the workshops.

Join Healthy Waterloo on Wednesday, August 12, from 11 to 11:45 a.m. on Teams forWhat Our Community Is Saying About Health and Well-being. This virtual webinar will highlight key findings from more than 20 community conversations involving 100+ students, faculty, and staff. Student presenters will share insights into the supports, barriers, and opportunities shaping health and well-being at the University of Waterloo, followed by a live Q&A.