On November 28th, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Waterloo unveiled the future of software engineering with its second Project Showcase for the graduate course Engineering Self-Adaptive Software Systems (ESASS). Led by Dr. Ladan Tahvildari, this innovative course, with support from IBM, integrates cutting-edge industry technologies with research-driven, hands-on learning to tackle real-world challenges in software adaptability.
The idea for the course originated in 2019. "IBM Open-Source Technologies provided an ideal platform for teaching adaptive software systems in academia," Dr. Tahvildari noted. Following in-depth discussions with Dr. Mark Stoodley, Senior Technical Staff Member at IBM Canada, who specializes in compilers and runtime technologies, along with his team at IBM, the vision of a course that seamlessly blended academic theory with industry practice was brought to life.
Originally slated for launch in Fall 2021, the course faced delays due to the pandemic but debuted triumphantly in Fall 2023. Bolstered by IBM’s generous support, ESASS equips students with skills to design self-adaptive software systems using advanced open-source tools.
The November showcase highlighted the ingenuity of eight student teams, each presenting innovative solutions to key challenges confronting industry. Their projects were presented in 5-minute pitches, complemented by posters and in one case, a live demonstration.
The judging panel for the competition featured distinguished representatives from IBM, including Vincenzo Pasquantonio, Vice President of Development, Data Portfolio: Hybrid Data Management and watsonx.data; Allen Chan, IBM Distinguished Engineer and CTO, Business Automation & Watson Orchestrate; Annette Keenleyside, Program Director, IBM Runtime Technologies; and Dr. Mark Stoodley. They were joined by esteemed ECE professors Dr. Amir-Hossein Karimi and Dr. Tahsin Reza, as well as ECE PhD students Ryan Zheng He Liu and Shizhe Lin. Together, they evaluated the projects and selected the 'Top Project' for special recognition. The winner of the 'Top Project' award was Zachary Wu for his project DriftGuard: Drift Detection from a Self-Adaptive Systems Perspective, while the recipients of the Honourable Mention were Guilherme Campos and Eshani Nandy for their project Alfred: A Self-Adaptive Jenkins. Pasquantonio praised the work of all students, stating, “It’s humbling and invigorating to be the least smart person in the room. The projects were outstanding, and it’s clear the future is in great hands.” Chan echoed the sentiment, adding, “Hearing about these innovative solutions has been an incredible learning experience. The students’ creativity and dedication are truly inspiring.”
Reflecting on the collaboration, Dr. Tahvildari expressed gratitude for IBM’s two-decade partnership with her research lab, emphasizing its impact on advancing self-adaptive software systems. “This course is a testament to the power of academia-industry partnerships to deliver meaningful learning experiences and prepare students for the workforce,” she noted.
As the ESASS course continues to expand, it stands as a beacon of innovation, preparing the next generation of engineers to tackle the complex challenges of self-adaptive software systems.
Annette Keenleyside, Program Director of IBM Runtime Technologies and Waterloo alumna, delivering opening remarks to the attendees.
Dr. Ladan Tahvildari with Top Project Winner Zachary Wu for his project DriftGuard: Drift Detection from a Self-Adaptive Systems Perspective.
Dr. Ladan Tahvildari with Honourable Mention recipients Guilherme Campos and Eshani Nandy for their project Alfred: A Self-Adaptive Jenkins. Also pictured is Dr. Tahsin Reza, one of the competition judges.