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 Defence Notice: Stochastic Planning of Dual-provision Power-to-hydrogen Systems
Candidate: Haytham Raafat Gamal Ibrahim
Date: April 13, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Online - contact the candidate for more information.
Supervisors: Salama, Magdy
PhD Comprehensive Proposal Examination Notice: Nonlinear Parametric Processes for Generation and Measurement of Continuous-Variable Quantum States in Superconducting Cavities
Candidate: Andy Schang
Date: April 13, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM
Location: QNC 1201
Supervisor: Wilson, Chris
MASc Thesis Examination: Multi-Layer OTN Simulation and LLM-Driven Root Cause Analysis: From Alarm Propagation to Reinforcement-Optimized Diagnostic Agents
Candidate: Shihang Wang
Date: April 13, 2026
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Supervisor: Pin-Han Ho
News
Electrical and computer engineering student Cait Aitchison named a recipient of the 2025 IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship Plus Initiative
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Waterloo proudly congratulates graduating student Cait Aitchison on being named a recipient of the 2025 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Scholarship Plus Initiative. Awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the power and energy sector, the scholarship recognizes academic excellence, leadership potential, and a demonstrated commitment to advancing the future of sustainable electricity systems.
Electrical and computer engineering professor Dr. Ladan Tahvildari named 2026 IBM Champion for second consecutive year
Dr. Ladan Tahvildari, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has once again been named an IBM Champion, earning the distinction for 2026. This recognition highlights her continued leadership and contributions to the global IBM technology community, building on her selection as an IBM Champion in 2025.
The IBM Champion designation is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate exceptional advocacy, technical expertise, and meaningful engagement within IBM’s technology ecosystem. Recipients are recognized for their contributions to advancing innovation, sharing knowledge, and supporting the broader technology community through research, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) PhD student Soomin Shin awarded Waterloo Data and AI Institute scholarship
ECE PhD student Soomin Shin has been awarded a $15,000 scholarship from the Waterloo Data and AI Institute, recognizing her innovative research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and real-world physical systems.
Supervised by Kerstin Dautenhahn, Shin is a member of the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL), where researchers explore how robots can interact with people in meaningful, socially aware ways. Her work focuses on building scalable social robot systems that can operate sustainably in real-world environments by integrating advanced AI capabilities.