News

The Faculty of Engineering is excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Art of Engineering and Architecture research photo contest.

Now in its second year, this contest celebrates the intersection of art and research across the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering by providing faculty, students and staff to showcase their research, scholarly, and artistic work in a creative and visually compelling way.

 University of Waterloo researchers have developed an AI-powered app that tracks our caloric and nutrient intake while we eat.

Dr. Yuhao Chen, a research assistant professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering’s Vision and Image Processing (VIP) Lab, said the new tech is aimed at tackling malnutrition in aging populations to ensure that older people get the food they need to support a healthy and active lifestyle.

The Waterloo Engineering community came together to celebrate the exceptional achievements of three alumni at this year’s Engineering Awards Dinner. 

Hosted by Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall, Professor and Chair of Systems Design Engineering, the event recognized leaders in thermal management, community service and computational fluid dynamics.

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.

University of Waterloo engineering graduate Julia Baribeau (BASc ’23) is addressing global water and sustainability challenges through intrapreneurship – bringing entrepreneurial innovation to her role at sustainability consulting firm Enviro-Stewards and its social venture, Safe Water Social Ventures.

Baribeau’s journey began in Waterloo’s mechatronics engineering program, where co-op placements honed her technical skills and sparked her interest in the social impact of technology.

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.

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.

An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Waterloo is building systems that mimic the human brain to improve the power efficiency and performance of artificial neural networks like those used in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology.   

Dr. Chris Eliasmith, a professor jointly appointed to the Departments of Systems Design Engineering and Philosophy, leads Waterloo’s Computational Neuroscience Research Group (CNRG), which focuses on replicating human brain function to create more efficient and powerful artificial systems.  

University of Waterloo researchers have achieved a breakthrough in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology that addresses key barriers to EV adoption including charging time and longevity.

Developed by Waterloo Engineering professors Dr. Yverick Rangom and Dr. Michael Pope, both from the Department of Chemical Engineering, their innovation enables EV batteries to charge from zero to 80 percent in just 15 minutes instead of the usual one hour, and withstand up to 800 charging cycles.

The Faculty of Engineering hosted an inspiring Q&A session with Jim Estill (BASc ’1980) CEO of Danby Appliances, in a packed event space in Engineering Building 7.

The event, titled Discover the Power of Purpose-Driven Leadership, brought together students, faculty, and alumni to engage with one of Waterloo’s most accomplished and philanthropic graduates.