News

A young woman is scheduled to mark another milestone Saturday on her remarkable journey from a one-room house in India to academic success at the University of Waterloo.

Pampa Dey, who grew up in a remote village where a kerosene lamp was often the only source of light, is to receive a PhD in civil engineering for research on improving the vibration performance of aluminum bridges.

“I never thought I’d come this far in life,” said Dey, a post-doctoral fellow at Waterloo Engineering. “I now know that I can explore anything and achieve my dreams.”

Five projects led by researchers at Waterloo Engineering have been awarded a combined total of almost $14.6 million from a federal fund for research infrastructure.

They are among nine University of Waterloo-led projects to receive more than $17 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), which aims to equip researchers and scientists with the best tools and labs.

Two new students began their studies at Waterloo Engineering this fall backed by prestigious scholarships valued at $100,000 each.

Gwyn Foster and Matthew Reynolds were among 33 young Canadians selected as 2017 Loran Scholars from an initial pool of more than 4,400 applicants.

The Loran Scholars Foundation uses a rigorous selection process that stresses character, commitment to community service and long-term leadership potential.

Waterloo Engineering professor Sushanta Mitra has been elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) for his outstanding contributions to physics.

Waterloo Engineering is part of two ‘supercluster’ initiatives still in the running for a share of $950 million in federal funding intended to stimulate innovation.

Overall, the University of Waterloo is involved in three of nine bids shortlisted from over 50 applications.

While announcing the remaining contenders, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said they focus on fast-growing areas like artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing and clean technology.

Two startup companies founded by Waterloo Engineering graduates were among the big winners in a recent competition in Buffalo.

Suncayr collected $500,000 in the fourth annual 43North event, while Qidni Labs finished third and was awarded $550,000. 

Founded by Waterloo nanotechnology engineering students, Suncayr has developed a body sticker to warn users when their sunscreen is no longer effective.

Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have developed computer software capable of explaining the decisions made by powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the world of finance.

Explainability, as it is called, is crucial to the widespread adoption of deep-learning AI algorithms in the financial sector, both to satisfy regulatory requirements and to give users insights needed to accept, or reject, their recommendations.

Beating the cold has taken on new meaning for University of Waterloo researchers who are working to help Canadian wastewater treatment plants become more environmentally sustainable.

One of the research group’s projects involves a problem at a plant in the southern Ontario community of Keswick that is subject to stringent discharge limits.

Peter Huck and Wayne Parker, both civil and environmental engineering professors and members of the University's Water Institute, recently participated in the International Water Association Membrane Technology Conference and Exhibition for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Singapore.

A patch that delivers allergy medication to children developed by Waterloo students is one of only two Canadian projects to be shortlisted for this year’s international James Dyson Awards competition. It’s the fourth year in a row a University of Waterloo project has reached the final round.