News

An international research team led by Waterloo Engineering has found a way to turn plastic waste into the main ingredient in vinegar using sunlight.

Their discovery could help reduce plastic pollution, especially in water, while also producing acetic acid, a chemical widely used in food production, chemical manufacturing and energy applications.

Tech startup Rotostitch, an automated textile manufacturing company, raised USD $1 million in a pre-seed funding round to accelerate development of its next-generation textile production platform.

Co-founded in 2025 by Waterloo Engineering alum Leah McClure (BASc ’24, mechanical engineering) and Anson Tsang, Rotostitch is on a mission to reinvent garment construction with greater efficiency, starting with the stitch.

Work by researchers at Waterloo Engineering demonstrates how advanced algebra can help reveal the deep patterns and symmetry at the heart of music.

Dr. Olga Ibragimova, a former PhD student in computational mechanics, and Dr. Chrystopher Nehaniv, a professor of systems design engineering, used group theory - a branch of mathematics that studies symmetry and transformations - to examine melody.

Dr. Mary Wells received an appointment to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest civilian honour, in recognition of leadership that advanced education, research and access to engineering across the province.

Wells, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo since 2020, was named among 30 appointees for 2025 by the Honourable Edith Dumont, lieutenant-governor of Ontario and chancellor of the Order of Ontario.

The Faculty of Engineering is mourning the loss of Dr. Brian Le Lievre, a professor emeritus in civil and environmental engineering. Le Lievre died on Jan. 2, 2026, at the age of 98.

Le Lievre was part of the University of Waterloo’s earliest generation of scholars in soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, helping shape the department in its founding years. Across more than 25 years at Waterloo, he taught, mentored and led with a steady focus on students and the discipline.

Waterloo-based AgTech company Upside Robotics has secured USD $7.5 million in seed funding to accelerate the growth of its AI-powered agricultural robotics platform.

Co-founded in 2024 by Waterloo Engineering alum Sam Dugan (BASc ’22, mechatronics engineering) and Jana Tian, Upside Robotics is transforming agriculture through sustainable automation. The company’s lightweight, autonomous robots apply fertilizer precisely where crops need it, enabling farmers to remotely monitor fields, track crop health and deliver nutrients efficiently — without stepping foot on the soil.

A Waterloo Engineering professor challenged graduating students to think beyond technical success during this year’s …And One More Thing lecture, sharing her perspective on how prioritizing students’ development as good human beings empowers them to become good engineers.

Dr. Pendar Mahmoudi, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is the recipient of the Faculty of Engineering’s 2025 Boyce Family Teaching Award.  The award was established in 2023 and made possible by generous donation from the Boyce family.

People can collaborate with groups of wheeled robots to create art using an interactive system developed by researchers at Waterloo Engineering.

The robots trail coloured light as they move in response to a piece of music within a fixed area – which serves as the canvas – while a camera records them to produce a “painting,” or visual representation of its emotion.

Student startup Colare makes it easier for an employer to hire the right engineer for the job. The company uses simulation-based assessments to test candidates on real-world engineering tasks, such as CAD modelling and printed circuit board design.

Waterloo Engineering student Nain Abdi, inspired by his own co-op hiring experiences, co-founded Colare in 2025 with Esther Thomas to improve how engineering talent is evaluated.

Faculty and staff in the Faculty of Engineering were recognized for their contributions at the annual faculty and staff awards lunch.

Hosted by Dean Mary Wells, the event brought the Faculty together to celebrate 16 award recipients and to acknowledge the collective work that supported another strong year for Waterloo Engineering.