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: Learning-based Universal Degradation Model for Downstream Vision Tasks
Candidate: Paul Yang
Date: May 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Online - contact the candidate for more information.
Supervisor: Wang, Zhou
PhD Defence Notice: Perception-Aligned Representation Learning for 3D Visual Content
Candidate: Sheyang Tang
Date: May 20, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Online - contact the candidate for more information.
Supervisor: Wang, Zhou
News
Electrical and computer engineering professor, Dr. Xuemin (Sherman) Shen, receives IEEE Canada A.G.L. McNaughton Award
Dr. Xuemin (Sherman) Shen, University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Waterloo, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the IEEE Canada A.G.L. McNaughton Award, one of the organization’s most prestigious medal distinctions recognizing outstanding contributions to electrical and electronics engineering.
The award citation recognizes Dr. Shen:
“For contributions to wireless and ultra-band communication networks with substantial impact on accessibility, security, and user privacy protection.”
Electrical and computer engineering professor, Dr. Alfred Yu, receives IEEE Canada Outstanding Engineer Award
Electrical and computer engineering professor, Dr. Alfred Yu, has been named the 2026 recipient of the IEEE Canada Outstanding Engineer Award, one of the organization’s highest honours recognizing excellence and impact in electrical and electronics engineering.
The award citation recognizes Dr. Yu:
“For transformative innovations in next-generation ultrasound imaging technology that have advanced clinical scanners and enhanced cardiovascular diagnostics.”
Electrical and computer engineering researchers named finalists in international IEEE Competition for breakthrough radar sensing research
Electrical and computer engineering PhD student Yu Cao, post-doctoral fellow Omid Bagheri, and MASc student Veronica Leong — all supervised by Dr. George Shaker, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo — are advancing the future of wireless sensing technology with a breakthrough approach that allows millimeter-wave radar to detect changes in soft, hydrated materials without direct electrical contact.
For their innovative work, the team has been named finalists in the inaugural IEEE AP-S Industry Application Pitch Competition. Their paper, Near-Field Millimeter-Wave Radar Sensing of a Slot-Loaded Dielectric Resonator, was selected among the top 10 submissions from 106 entries worldwide following an exceptionally rigorous review process. The researchers will now present their work live at the 2026 IEEE APS/URSI Symposium, where final winners will be chosen by an expert judging panel.