News

A Waterloo Engineering professor has received a national award recognizing exceptional contributions in chemical engineering, celebrating innovation in sustainable materials and global research impact.

Dr. Michael Tam, a chemical engineering professor and University Research Chair, has been named the 2025 recipient of the R.S. Jane Memorial Award — the highest honour conferred by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE). He will deliver a plenary lecture at the CSChE Conference on October 8.

Researchers say you may want to think twice about using powerful artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT to self-diagnose health problems. 

A team led by Waterloo Engineering found in a simulated study that ChatGPT-4o, the well-known large language model (LLM) created by OpenAI, answered open-ended diagnostic questions incorrectly nearly two-thirds of the time. 

A Waterloo Engineering professor has been recognized with one of Ontario's premier engineering awards for research that could transform how surgeons detect and treat cancer in the operating room.

Dr. Parsin Haji Reza, a systems design engineering professor, received the Ontario Professional Engineering Awards' (OPEA) Engineering Medal for Entrepreneurship for turning his research into a successful venture through innovation and business leadership. He will be formally honoured at the OPEA's awards gala in November.

More than 20 teams of high school students with a passion for designing, building and racing electric vehicles are scheduled to hit the track at the annual Waterloo EV Challenge on Saturday.

Students from across Ontario will compete in two endurance races in single-seat electric vehicles they designed and built on a temporary street racing course on the East Campus.  Each car starts with the same size and type of battery, and the vehicle that travels furthest in the time available is the winner.

Waterloo-based nanotech company Alchemy received $1.8 million in federal funding to expand its development of next-generation thermal camouflage textiles for military use.

Co-founded in 2013 by Waterloo Engineering alumni Khanjan Desai and Chong Shen (both BASc ’13, nanotechnology), the company produces a nanoceramic film to protect windshields from scratches and stone chips. The product was discovered to interact with thermal infrared radiation, which led to partnerships with the defence industry.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have engineered a new 3D‑printable nanocomposite bone graft material designed to precisely match patient anatomy.

Led by Dr. Thomas Willet from the Department of Systems Design Engineering, the team aims to deliver safer and more effective bone repairs through custom‑designed implants.

Three Waterloo Engineering professors have been elected Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of the profession’s highest national honours.

Dr. Kankar Bhattacharya, Dr. Shesha Jayaram and Dr. Aiping Yu were among 57 new Fellows named this year, recognized for outstanding contributions to engineering in Canada and internationally. Their election reflects career-long excellence in research, innovation, mentorship and service.

A Waterloo spin-off company is changing Major League Baseball (MLB) with a pitching simulator that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to replicate the experience of batting against a real professional pitcher. 

Trajekt Sports was founded in 2019 by Waterloo Engineering alumni Joshua Pope (BASc ’19) and Rowan Ferrabee (BASc ’19). Today, 30 professional baseball organizations around the world train with the company’s flagship product, the Trajekt Arc.

An electrical and computer engineering professor has received international recognition for advancing renewable energy research that supports more sustainable power systems worldwide.

Earlier this week, Dr. Claudio Cañizares was awarded the 2025 Power & Energy Society (PES) Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his leadership in integrating renewable energy into complex energy infrastructures.

A startup company co-founded by two Waterloo Engineering graduates has secured US $4 million in seed funding to continue its growth in the construction industry.

Adaptis, launched in 2022 by Sheida Shahi (PhD ’21, civil engineering) and Aida Mollaei (PhD ’24, civil engineering), provides a decision-making platform to help owners, architects and engineers lower building costs, generate more design options, reduce project timelines and optimize operational costs.