Wednesday, November 4, 2026

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• Help shape the future of transportation: Take the Travel Survey
• Waterloo researcher wins Canada’s top science and engineering prize
• Faculty of Science celebrates Fall 2026 IDEAL Scholars

 Help shape the future of transportation: Take the Travel Survey

Students and employees are encouraged to participate in the 2026 Travel Survey, to help Waterloo better understand how people move to, from, and within campuses. 

The Travel Survey, which runs every two years, is an important tool to measure the different ways that people travel, as well as inform the development of University planning to support efficient, sustainable, safe, and accessible travel options. 

The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and after completing the survey, you can choose to enter a prize draw for one of four $50 WatCard top-ups.

All survey responses are fully anonymous and will only be disclosed in aggregate. 

To learn more and to start the survey, please visit the 2026 Travel Survey webpage.

Waterloo researcher wins Canada’s top science and engineering prize

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

World-renowned energy materials scientist and solid-state electrochemist, Dr. Linda Nazar, Chemistry, has received the 2026 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering for her immense contributions to battery research, a field where she continues to make waves.

The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering is the highest honour awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), recognizing an individual whose body of work, conducted in Canada in the natural sciences or engineering, has demonstrated persistent excellence and influence. The award celebrates Canada’s most outstanding scientists and engineers and raises public awareness about the major contributions that top researchers make to science, technology and improving the lives of Canadians. 

Nazar is a world authority in electrochemical energy storage whose impact on the field has resulted in seminal contributions to materials chemistry and electrochemistry. She has advanced fundamental knowledge to solve important problems related to sustainable energy storage. Her work has also inspired countless others to push the envelope in their research, which has enhanced the field overall. Over the past decade, she has been among the most highly cited researchers (Web of Science) each year with more than 300 co-authored papers and more than 82,000 citations.  

Looking back on her career, Nazar has many standout moments that make it easy to see why she was an ideal candidate for the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. Her early work on high-capacity cathode materials such as lithium iron phosphate led to significant advances in battery technology and the development of cathodes that offered higher energy densities and better performance at lower cost.  

More recently, a highlight of her career is her research on lithium-sulfur batteries, which hold the potential for higher energy densities and lower costs compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Another is her pivotal research in the last decade. “Our contributions to solid electrolytes and advanced solid-state batteries have been instrumental in moving this technology closer to practical, widespread use,” Nazar says.   

Her team has also been involved in developing and applying advanced techniques for characterizing battery materials at the atomic and molecular levels, which has deepened the fundamental understanding of how materials behave and degrade, leading to better design and longevity of energy storage.   

Nazar also received the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship in 2025, and the Royal Society U.K. Hughes Medal in 2024, an award rarely given to citizens outside of the U.K. Prior to the Hughes Medal, she was also appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 2020. 

Winning the NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering is another significant career milestone for Nazar. “Receiving the Herzberg Gold Medal is an extraordinary honour,” she says. “To be recognized alongside scientists whose discoveries I have admired for so many years is both thrilling and deeply humbling. What has always driven me is the excitement of discovering something new and exploring bold ideas that can open doors to technologies we once thought impossible and contribute to a more sustainable energy future. I am deeply grateful to my students, colleagues and collaborators who have shared this journey, and to NSERC and the University of Waterloo for their longstanding support. There is still so much to discover, and that is perhaps the most exciting part of all.” 

With the grant that comes with the award, Nazar plans to expand her research into bold new directions in solid-state and aqueous batteries. 

Nazar embodies why Waterloo is recognized worldwide as a leading research-intensive university, celebrated for its entrepreneurship and innovation. We congratulate her on this honour. 

Faculty of Science celebrates Fall 2026 IDEAL Scholars

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Science website.

The IDEAL Scholar Program celebrates Faculty of Science students who go beyond the classroom, recognizing those who actively pursue meaningful opportunities and make a lasting impact during their time at the University of Waterloo.

By engaging in activities across the pillars of Innovation, Discovery, Engagement, Application, and Leadership, students develop the essential skills employers value most: clear and effective communication, critical thinking, global awareness, a commitment to service, and creative problem-solving. Whether they are studying abroad, inspiring future scientists, contributing to cutting-edge research, or enriching campus life, our students are achieving exceptional things both inside and outside the classroom.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 IDEAL Scholar graduates. Wear your medallions with pride — you have truly earned them!