News

Dr. John Quilty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering leads a graduate student research team building artificial intelligence (AI) models that help communities better anticipate and respond to water-related risks. 

The research is supported by the Sinnathamby Professorship in AI for Sustainable Solutions in the Faculty of Engineering, established by University of Waterloo alum Thiru Sinnathamby (BASc ’01, electrical engineering) with an investment of $500,000.

A student team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has earned international recognition, placing as first runner-up for the Hardware Design Award at the IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Signal & Power Integrity (EMC+SIPI) in Dallas, Texas.

Jake Peters, Amirbahador Mansoori, Alanna Rudolph and Dhyey Bhatt, were named one of the top three finalists in the IEEE EMC+SIPI Student Hardware Design Contest earlier this summer, the qualifying step that led to their runner-up finish at the symposium.

A testing tool built by researchers at Waterloo Engineering shows that leading open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) models are alarmingly vulnerable to malicious tampering.

The researchers collaborated with experts at FAR.AI, a non-profit AI security research group, to rigorously test 21 of the most popular open-weight large language models (LLMs) and found their built-in safeguards could all be defeated.

The University of Waterloo Rocketry Team has set a new world record for the highest-ever amateur liquid bi-propellant rocket to take to the skies.

The team's rocket, Polaris, soared to 63,497 feet at the 2026 Launch Canada Challenge in Timmins, Ontario, surpassing the previous record of 56,590 feet.

Two members of Waterloo Engineering's leadership team have been re-appointed to Associate Dean roles for new terms.

Dr. Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering, announced the reappointments of Dr. Carolyn MacGregor and Dr. Derek Rayside. MacGregor's new one-year term as Associate Dean, Teaching and Community runs from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. Rayside's new three-year term as Associate Dean, Co-operative Education and Professional Affairs runs from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029.

A team led by two Waterloo Engineering professors has developed a battery-free sensor with promising potential applications to expand the reach of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

“The legacy approach to sensors relies on local gateways and batteries, limiting scalability, adding environmental burden and increasing maintenance overhead,” said Dr. George Shaker, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

A former student at Waterloo Engineering is now getting traction in Silicon Valley as the founder and chief executive officer of a technology startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to do home appraisals via a mobile app.

Humza Ahmed was studying mechanical engineering when he was bitten by the business bug and inspired by the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Waterloo to put a new twist on an occupation with deep roots in his family.

A Waterloo Engineering researcher has been recognized with one of the water industry's highest honours for her contributions to municipal water research and the advancement of the water profession.

Dr. Monica Emelko, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received the Norman J. Howard Award from the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA), one of the association's highest honours. The award recognizes proficiency and leadership in key areas of municipal water supply and celebrates those who have made significant contributions to ensuring safe, reliable and sustainable water systems. 

A Waterloo Engineering professor has been elected to a senior leadership role with an international council that advances research, education and industrial applications in nanotechnology.

Dr. John T.W. Yeow, a professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering, was elected president-elect of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Nanotechnology Technical Council (NTC) in early July 2026, at the council's annual meeting held in Nanjing, China. 

Researchers at Waterloo Engineering are using artificial intelligence (AI), data science and advanced mathematics to help save lives by predicting how fires behave in modern homes.

The new system tackles a growing challenge for fire researchers: modern furniture materials and increasingly airtight, energy-efficient homes can cause fires to behave differently than they did in the past.