News

A three-time Waterloo Engineering alum has been formally installed as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo, becoming the first graduate to lead the institution.

Dr. Bill Rosehart (BASc ’96, MASc ’97, PhD ’01), who earned all three degrees in electrical and computer engineering, was installed as the University’s eighth president during a ceremony on October 22, 2026. In his remarks, Rosehart said Waterloo’s greatest strength remains the qualities that have defined it since its founding — challenging convention, hands-on experience and innovation — and that protecting that identity is key to driving Canadian prosperity.

Waterloo Engineering doctoral students have secured $2.4 million in the first round of the Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Doctoral, the federal government’s new award for outstanding doctoral researchers.

Twenty students from across the Faculty earned the scholarships, each worth $120,000 over three years. Winners were chosen equally on their research potential and on their experience and achievements inside and outside academia.

A company that was co-founded by a Waterloo Engineering alumnus to improve infrastructure inspection using artificial intelligence was recently acquired by an engineering firm in the United States.

ConeLabs was launched in 2023 by Albert Mansour (BASc ’05, civil and environmental engineering) and Ahmed Mahmoud with a mission to revolutionize the inspection of infrastructure and enhance safety with state-of-the-art imaging and analysis technology.

As another class prepares to cross the convocation stage, Waterloo’s newest graduates are reflecting on the experiences, people and opportunities that shaped their undergraduate years.

Dakota Bacchus, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the School of Architecture, says Dr. Rick Haldenby (BES ’73, BArch ’75) had the biggest impact on his time at Waterloo. Bacchus first met Haldenby in second year and was struck by his care for students and his ability to bring history to life through storytelling.

Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have created a new gel material, inspired by sea cucumbers, that could help heal soft-tissue injuries by providing a structure for cells to naturally regenerate within.

The moist, flexible hydrogel, the product of almost four years of research, was engineered so its mechanical properties can be tailored to work with a range of tissues including tendons, brains, muscles, organs, cartilage and skin.

A recently retired Waterloo Engineering professor has won the most prestigious career award in fire protection engineering, recognizing decades of research into how fire behaves and what it does to people, buildings and the environment. 

Dr. Beth Weckman (BASc ’79, MASc ’82, PhD ’87) received the Arthur B. Guise Medal at the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) annual conference earlier this month.

Two undergraduates at Waterloo Engineering recently completed co-op placements through an initiative led by Communitech to pair students with local businesses to work on artificial intelligence (AI) projects.

Bilal Alberzreh, who is studying systems design engineering, gained invaluable experience working for a construction company that files utility locates.

A Waterloo Engineering student design team has taken another step toward repairing electronics in space by designing, building and testing an automated soldering device aboard a microgravity flight.

The Waterloo Space Soldering Team, made up of 17 students and recent alumni, was one of four teams across Canada selected by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Canada for this year's Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment Design Challenge, held August 31 to September 4.

Three classmates in the systems design engineering program at Waterloo Engineering have gone on to careers at one of Canada’s leading space technology companies since graduating three years ago.

Mary McPhee, Emily Pittman and Elodie Xie (all BASc ’23) are all putting their skills and educations to good use at MDA Space in roles advancing space robotics.

A low-cost, 3D-printed filter developed by researchers at Waterloo Engineering removes up to 90 per cent of harmful microplastics from water.

The efficiency of the customizable filter, created in a three-step process, makes it a promising, inexpensive device for both residential and commercial applications.