News

The University of Waterloo is known for its technological and scientific innovations that are shaping a better future for industries and communities worldwide.  

Waterloo Engineering is home to many of the University’s faculty, students and alumni who are conducting remarkable research to solve real problems. Here are eight innovations, from advancing cancer treatment to developing more environmentally friendly industrial processes, making a meaningful difference in the world today.  

An environmentally friendly innovation by Waterloo Engineering researchers unlocks the potential of graphene – a material known for its strength, conductivity and thermal properties – in a diverse range of new areas.

The research team found a way to create the world’s first all-graphene ink for use with 3D printers for potential applications in environmental cleanup, consumer electronics and other fields.

Waterloo Engineering researchers at the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab (MSAM) will lead a multi-million-dollar initiative to scale up sustainable metal additive manufacturing.

Dr. Ehsan Toyserkani and Dr. Mihaela Vlasea, co-directors of MSAM and professors of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, will lead the brand-new Consortium for Sustainable Scale-up in Metal Additive Manufacturing as part of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario’s $5 million investment.

A Waterloo Engineering professor bestowed the Iron Ring on her students at this year's Iron Ring ceremony on campus. Now in its 100th year, the ceremony is an important rite of passage for Canada's professional engineers, reminding them to work with integrity. 

Dr. Nadine Ibrahim from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering shares why the Iron Ring tradition holds enduring relevance for future engineers and the societies they work in. 

An expert on gaming at Waterloo Engineering has valuable insights into the tricks designers sometimes use to separate players from their money.

In a Q and A issued today, Hilda Hadan, a doctoral candidate in systems design engineering, explained some of the most common tactics and how to avoid them.

Three Waterloo Engineering students have earned a national fellowship that supports global leadership and entrepreneurship.

Mechatronics Engineering student Beaumont Qu and Software Engineering students Barton Lu and Steven Yang were selected for the 2025 Cansbridge Fellowship, a competitive program that provides hands-on international experience through internships in Asia.

A research team at Waterloo Engineering has taken an important step in the protection of fragile coral reefs by uncovering how and why microplastics in the ocean stick to them.

For the first time, the researchers identified mucus naturally secreted by coral as the mechanism responsible for accumulation of the harmful pollutants on reefs, diverse ecosystems that provide food, shelter and breeding grounds for millions of species.

A Waterloo Engineering teaching stream professor delivered this year’s ...And One More Thing lecture to an audience of graduating students, imparting wisdom on how to tackle the real-world with humour, self-awareness and intelligent effort. 

Andrea Atkins, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the recipient of the Faculty of Engineering’s 2024 Boyce Family Teaching Award. Her advice to students? Fake it until you make it.  

The Iron Ring ceremony is an important rite of passage for Canada’s engineers, unifying them in a professional mission to do good work that serves society.

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the Iron Ring. The Poet Laureate of Dublin, California and Waterloo Engineering alum James Morehead (BASc ’90, computer engineering), recognizes the enduring relevance of the Iron Ring and what wearing it means to him as an engineer.  

Seven Waterloo Engineering graduate students made their mark at this year’s GRADflix competition with creative videos showcasing their research, including a top-prize-winning entry from a chemical engineering student.

Out of 110 entrants, chemical engineering graduate students Ananya Muralidharan, Gerard Agravante, Sarah Rezaei, and Youssra Rahham, electrical and computer engineering student Huda Diab Abdulgalil, mechanical and mechatronics student Jake Chateauneauf, and systems design engineering student Andrea Chakma secured spots in the top 20, with Muralidharan claiming the top prize.