A Waterloo Engineering graduate student has been awarded one of Canada’s top graduate scholarships for her research helping communities adapt to extreme heat using data-driven, climate-resilient solutions.
Irfhana Zakir Hussain, a PhD student in the Department of Systems Design Engineering and the School of Public Health Sciences, has received a 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her work in integrating environmental, health and socioeconomic data to predict and map heat-related health risks in Waterloo neighbourhoods.
Her project uses machine learning to analyze historical climate patterns, hospital visits and real-time data from smart thermostats to inform targeted interventions such as opening cooling centres or planting trees in vulnerable communities. The dashboard prioritizes equity and environmental sustainability and is designed to guide resource allocation during extreme heat events.
Go to Improving heatwave resilience in the Waterloo community for the full story.
Irfhana Zakir Hussain