Friday, August 14, 2026

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• Bereavement notice: The University of Waterloo mourns the death of graduate student Sean Lee

• New Indigenous mural finds a permanent home at the School of Accounting and Finance 

• Donor powers graduate research in embodied AI research 

• Researcher earns prestigious international prize for fire suppression breakthrough

Bereavement notice: The University of Waterloo mourns the death of graduate student Sean Lee

The University of Waterloo is deeply saddened by the passing of Seo Hyun (Sean) Lee, a graduate student in the Department of Pure Mathematics.

Sean completed a master’s degree at Waterloo last year and finished the first year of his PhD studies under the supervision of professor Andy Zucker in topological dynamics. Sean will be remembered by his professors and peers as a studious member of the department and a very good listener. “He seemed to most enjoy learning by listening to others,” says Zucker.

The University community extends our deepest sympathies to Sean’s family and friends.

If you need support, counselling services and resources are available to help deal with the painful news of the loss of a member of our community.

Support for Students 

Counselling Services-519-888-4096 (#2 on prompt for Counselling Services) 

EmpowerMe, Student Assistance Program 

Student Health Benefit (for private counselling) 

UW Chaplains 

Mates (peer support) - mates@wusa.ca 

Here 24/7- 1-844-437-3247 
Health Services - Student Medical Clinic-519-888-4096 
Grand River Hospital-519-749-4300 
St. Mary's Hospital-519-744-3311 
Good2Talk-1-866-925-5454 
Crisis Services Canada-1-833-456-4566orby texting 45645 

The Coping Centre 

Bereaved Families of Ontario-Midwestern Region 

Canadian Mental Health Association

 
Employee based support for faculty and staff 

Employee and Family Assistance Plan 

Employee Extended Health Benefits(private counselling) 

New Indigenous mural finds a permanent home at the School of Accounting and Finance

(L-R) Elder Myeengun Henry, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper; Kyle Joedicke, Cayuga Woodland artist; Dr. Blake Phillips, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance; Dr. Alexie Tcheuyap, Dean of Arts; Dr. Bill Rosehart, President and Vice-Chancellor.

The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) unveiled a commissioned three-panel Indigenous mural in the Don Craig Atrium in Hagey Hall on August 11, placing the Haudenosaunee Sky Woman creation story in permanent view at the centre of the School. 

Cayuga Woodland artist Kyle Joedicke created the work. A Six Nations of the Grand River artist whose practice is rooted in Haudenosaunee stories and heritage, Joedicke is also the artist behind the University of Waterloo's Indigenous Warriors logo and the mural inside the Tatham Centre. His latest mural now anchors one of the busiest gathering spaces in Hagey Hall, seen every day by students, faculty and visitors who pass through. 

The three panels unfold in sequence: Sky Woman’s descent from the Spirit World, the growth of sacred plant life on Turtle Island, and the harmony of the natural world that sustains all life. Together, they trace a story of origin, care for the land, and the relationships that sustain a community. 

Joedicke shared his reflections on the deeper meaning of the installation. “This work deals very intimately with a piece of knowledge and a teaching from my people's culture that speaks to the importance of community, and also the importance of reciprocal gifts in society and appreciating all that we've been given by Creator in the natural world.” 

The unveiling drew University leadership and members of the Indigenous community on campus. Dr. Bill Rosehart, President and Vice-Chancellor, took part in the ceremony, alongside Elder Myeengun Henry, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper; Dr. Alexie Tcheuyap, Dean of Arts; and Dr. Blake Phillips, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance, who commissioned the work. 

Elder Henry opened the gathering with a smudging ceremony, followed by insights on Indigenous teachings and the significance of the new panels to the space. “If we go back to our original Creation stories, Indigenous nations have always passed knowledge on from generation to generation. They carry wisdom, and there's always been a relationship to our past and to our future,” said Henry. “I've seen, just in a few short years, this University has adapted to the needs necessary for all of us to learn,” he continued. “We celebrate together all the cultures who are here, and we walk together on this path of unity.” 

President Rosehart spoke next about the University's ongoing commitment to reconciliation and Indigenization. “I know there's more we need to do to celebrate and support our people, to amplify what we do as a community and what we do in our community,” Rosehart remarked. “This work of art is a wonderful example of what can happen when people come together with shared purpose. We walk into this space, and when we see these works, it brings a certain joy. But that won't compare to the conversations that will happen when people look closely and really start to understand all the messages that are said with this artwork.” 

Read the full story on the School of Accounting and Finance website.

Donor powers graduate research in embodied AI research 

The first cohort of scholarship recipients with Dr. Stephen Smith, Roger Tang, and colleagues 

This is an excerpt from an article that was  originally published on the Engineering website. 

The Tang Family Foundation, a charitable fund within the Philantra Foundation, has invested $500,000 in the University of Waterloo’s Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.AI) to support graduate research in embodied artificial intelligence (AI) through student scholarships. 

The inaugural recipients, eight students from the faculties of Engineering and Math, have received $15,000 each to help them focus on their work in embodied intelligence — AI that senses and acts in real environments. 

"Most AI today is virtual — you write a prompt and it gives back text," said Dr. Stephen Smith, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Canada Research Chair in Autonomous Systems and the Director of Waterloo.AI. 

“Embodied, or physical, AI is different — systems perceive the world through sensors such as cameras, and act on it through motors and actuators,” Smith explained. “Large language models, or LLMs, now add the general knowledge that robotics long lacked.” 

A robot clearing a kitchen, for example, can draw on an LLM to infer that a mug is fragile, best grasped by the handle and probably belongs in a cupboard — reasoning that once had to be hand-coded for every object and every room. 

For Smith, directing the gift to students is the most effective use of philanthropic funding. "This allows graduate students to have more time," he said. "They can focus on the more foundational aspects of their research, which is where the real impact lies — building the knowledge and new theories for industrial innovation.” 

Read the full story. 

Researcher earns prestigious international prize for fire suppression breakthrough 

 Dr. Vinny Gupta smiling for being recognized for award-winning research that advances the understanding of chemical and water mist fire suppression technologies.

This is an excerpt from an article that was originally published on the Waterloo Engineering website.

New insights into how chemical additives can dramatically improve water mist fire suppression have earned a University of Waterloo researcher one of the highest honours in combustion science. 

Dr. Vinny Gupta, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and director of Waterloo's Fire Research Laboratory, received the Silver Combustion Medal from The Combustion Institute for research that reveals how chemically enhanced water mist systems suppress large turbulent fires more effectively than water alone. 

The award recognizes an outstanding paper presented at the previous International Symposium on Combustion and is widely regarded as one of the field's most prestigious distinctions. 

Read the full story.