Ranked among the top 50 engineering schools worldwide, Waterloo Engineering is committed to leading engineering education and research.
We are the largest engineering school in Canada, with over 10,900 students enrolled in 2023. In 2023/24, external research funding from Canadian and international partners exceeded $79.3 million, a strong indication of our extensive industry partnerships and the excellence of our engineering research programs.
News
Researchers create better plastic from food scraps
An interdisciplinary research team at the University of Waterloo has developed a method to convert food waste into biodegradable plastics using bacteria. The plastics are soft and flexible, making them suitable for applications like food wrap, drug delivery systems and tissue engineering.
Led by Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dr. Trevor Charles, a professor in the Department of Biology, the team produced polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a type of plastic that decomposes into harmless byproducts.
New students receive Ted Rogers scholarships
Nine incoming students to the Faculty of Engineering have been awarded prestigious Ted Rogers scholarships.
These scholarships recognize academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to driving positive change, while supporting underrepresented groups in engineering and technology.
MBET student’s platform empowers small-scale farmers
Kwaku Owusu Twum (PhD and MBET in progress) is revolutionizing agriculture with his platform, Mapmate. Born and raised in Ghana, Twum's exposure to the impacts of climate variability on food security sparked a lifelong mission to improve agricultural systems through technology.
Before coming to Waterloo, Twum honed his expertise in the food and manufacturing sectors and in land management consulting. Seeking a dynamic entrepreneurial environment, he joined the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, where he is now an Entrepreneurial PhD Fellow.
Events
Undergraduate Admissions Webinar Series: Environmental & Geological Engineering Ask-Me-Anything
Explore our Environmental and Geological Engineering programs and see how these fields address critical issues like climate change, resource depletion and environmental degradation. As an environmental or geological engineer, you’ll work on projects that protect the environment, manage resources sustainably and design disaster-resilient infrastructure. Hear from our professors, current students and alumni, and get your questions answered at this interactive AMA webinar.
FIRST Lego League Qualifier Tournament and FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifier
Youth Gearing Up for Exciting Robotics Competitions at the University of Waterloo
If you like robots, you will want to watch teams compete at the University of Waterloo during the weekend of Saturday Nov 30-Sunday Dec 1. The fields are set for innovation, creativity, and teamwork as FIRST Lego League (FLL) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams from across Waterloo-Wellington region, Hamilton region and the Greater Toronto Area prepare to display their skills at the two qualifier events organized by Waterloo-Wellington FIRST Robotics in partnership with Waterloo Engineering.
On Saturday, November 30, over a hundred of Grade 4 to 8 students will put their engineering skills and student-designed LEGO-based robots to the test on the SUBMERGED competition fields; these 19 teams will compete to win a spot at the Provincial Championship in January. The opening ceremony is at 8:30am followed by FIRST LEGO robot matches starting at 9am until 3pm, with the award ceremony at 3h45pm.
On Sunday, December 1, 23 teams of high school students will compete with their FIRST Tech Challenge robots and build their alliance to become the champion of the inaugural event at Waterloo. Following qualification games, teams will select their alliance partners and will aim to become the first champion of the WWFIRST FTC qualifier event. The opening ceremony is at 11am and robot games will take place from 11:30am until 5pm. Awards ceremony is at 5h30pm.
Both events take place in Engineering 7. Members of the public are welcome to attend the events. Pits, where teams work on their robots and display their projects and outreach activities, are also open to the public from 9am to 4pm.
National Day of Remembrance
Canada changed forever on December 6, 1989 when 14 women were murdered in a gender-based act of violence at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal.
The Faculty of Engineering invites you to join us, on December 6, 2024, for a ceremony and moment of silence observing Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Please join us as we come together to honour and reflect on the lives of these 14 women and everyone else whose lives were forever changed.
When: Friday, December 6 | 10:30–11:00am
Where: Engineering 7, 2nd Floor Event Space