Electrical and computer engineers shape the future through innovation. They develop and improve systems that serve everyday needs of society spanning from high-voltage engineering and sustainable energy, to breakthroughs in wireless technology. Our faculty and students do everything from creating low-cost digital x-ray imagers to combat tuberculosis in developing countries, to building real-time embedded systems to advance the design and reliability of commercial products. ECE - the future is what we do.
Research
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a dynamic and innovative hub of cutting-edge advancements in technology and engineering. Faculty members lead pioneering research in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, communications, embedded systems, and renewable energy, addressing real-world challenges and driving technological breakthroughs.
Resources
Events
PhD Seminar Notice: A Study of Acidity Degradation Mechanism of Silicone Rubber for Outdoor Insulation
Candidate: Safi Ullah Butt
Date: June 17, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Online - contact the candidate for more information.
Supervisor: El-Hag, Ayman – Ghunem, Refat
PhD Defence Notice: Incentive Compatibility and Equilibrium in Decentralized Settings
Candidate: Chien-Chih Chen
Date: June 17, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: EIT 3142
Supervisors: Golab, Wojciech
PhD Seminar Notice: Data Security and Privacy Preservation for Mobile Edge Computing
Candidate: Lingshuang Liu
Date: June 18, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Online
Supervisor: Xuemin (Sherman) Shen
All are welcome!
News
Computer engineering student recognized with President's Award of Excellence and OPEFE Gold Medal
As graduation approaches this June, Computer Engineering student Aung Khant Min is being recognized with two distinguished honours: the University of Waterloo President's Award of Excellence and the Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education (OPEFE) Gold Medal.
Min achieved the highest cumulative academic average (CAV) among Engineering students graduating this June. In recognition of this achievement, Min will receive the President's Award of Excellence, one of the University's highest student honours, as well as the OPEFE Gold Medal.
Four electrical and computer engineering PhD students earn Canada's flagship doctoral research scholarship
Four PhD students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) have earned the NSERC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS D), one of Canada's most prestigious and competitive awards for doctoral researchers.
The 2026 recipients are:
- Ahmed Metwally Hegazy
- Angeline Lafleur
- Andy (Andres) Schang
- Michael Ross Spinazze
Awarded through a national competition, the CGRS D recognizes exceptional PhD students whose academic excellence, research achievements and leadership potential position them among Canada's most promising emerging scholars.
A new nanoscale diamond structure that better collects and controls light
Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo have demonstrated a nanoscale optical device that makes it easier to probe quantum systems with light to enable more efficient quantum sensors and solid-state quantum computing systems. The new device was demonstrated in diamond as a proof of principle.
This optical device has the potential to make quantum sensors better at detecting weak magnetic fields, which could enhance technologies in biomedical imaging or navigation in GPS-denied environments. It could also advance solid-state quantum computing architectures by improving control and readout of individual quantum bits (qubits), and the transfer of quantum information between them.