News

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Dr. Ahmed Sayed, a former PhD student in our department, who has been awarded the Best PhD Thesis Award from Drones. Drones is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by MDPI—a pioneer in scholarly, open-access publishing, supporting academic communities since 1996.

Dr. Adel Sedra, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and past Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is among four people with connections to the University of Waterloo included in the list of new honourees.

Dr. Ladan Tahvildari, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has been named a Golden Core Member of the IEEE Computer Society,—an honour that celebrates her long-standing dedication and impactful contributions to the advancement of the computing field worldwide.

Dr. Claudio Cañizares, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has been awarded the 2025 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award. This distinguished award recognizes outstanding contributions to the development, utilization, and integration of renewable energy resources in both national and global energy scenarios.

Dr. Catherine Rosenberg, a distinguished professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has been awarded an Inria International Chair by the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria). The five-year appointment recognizes her exceptional leadership in wireless communication and networks.

Dr. Adel Sedra, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and former Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Canada’s Semiconductor Council. The prestigious honour was presented at the Council’s Annual Awards Dinner in Ottawa last week.

Congratulations to Zhenan Liu, a MASc student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, whose ground-breaking research has earned international recognition. Liu’s paper, “Real-Time 4D Radar Perception for Robust Human Detection in Harsh Enclosed Environments,” has received Honorable Mention in the prestigious 2025 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) Student Paper Competition.

Dr. Xuemin (Sherman) Shen, University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, has been named one of the world’s leading scientists in electronics and electrical engineering. In the 2024 edition of its annual global ranking, Research.com places Dr. Shen at #18 worldwide and #1 in Canada—a reflection of his extraordinary impact in the field.

Toronto-based virtual private network (VPN) startup Tailscale announced it has raised $230 million in Series C funding to expand its team and meet rising demand from artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

Co-founded in 2019 by Waterloo Engineering alumni Avery Pennarun and David Carney (both BASc ’01, computer engineering), the company offers a secure VPN that simplifies access to private networks.

Each year, the University of Waterloo’s Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Capstone Design program turns the bold ideas of its final-year students into innovations that shape the future. This highly anticipated event is more than just an academic milestone—it's a launchpad for cutting-edge technology, where creativity meets real-world problem-solving. From next-generation hardware to AI-powered solutions, Capstone projects push the boundaries of what’s possible, showcasing the ingenuity, technical skill, and entrepreneurial spirit that define Waterloo engineers.