Six Faculty of Engineering graduate students were named finalists in the 2026 GRADflix competition, with two taking top honours for creative videos explaining their research to a general audience.
Chemical engineering student Chen and electrical and computer engineering student Pan earned first- and second-place recognition in the University of Waterloo contest, hosted by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. Fellow engineering finalists included Olivia Graham (chemical engineering), Jeswin Joseph (mechanical and mechatronics engineering), Mina Torabi Milani (management science and engineering) and Jingnan Wang (Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business).
Pan’s winning video, Meet Mirrly: A Social Robot for the Eye Doctor’s Office, explored how social robotics could support patients in clinical environments. Chen’s video, Genetic Engineering: Programming Cells, explained how researchers program cells to perform specific biological functions.
The finalists’ videos premiered during the GRADflix Showcase on March 10 at Federation Hall, where winners were announced and recognized by a panel of judges from across the University.