News

The University of Waterloo, Maplesoft, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada are the recipients of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Synergy Award for Innovation, which recognizes their success in collaborating on the model-based design and control of automotive systems that improve vehicle safety and comfort while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Susan Tighe, a civil and environmental engineering professor, received the inaugural Bleeds Black Award in December at the 2013 Fall Asphalt Seminar hosted by the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association. The award recognizes her commitment to training, the education of students and to the industry. Tighe is the Canada Research Chair & Norman W. McLeod Professor in Sustainable Pavement Engineering.

Waterloo management engineering students placed in three of the four competitions at this year's Canadian Institute of Industrial Engineering Student Conference held at Ryerson University in January.

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) students captured second place in the RBC Next Great Innovator Challenge  held January 17 in Toronto. The team of five students called RBC+ included  MBET students Shanae Vander Togt, Rahim Dhanani, Ali Esmail, Aleesha Babineau, and Vejey Karthick Gandier.

The five teams that competed in the final challenge event were required to propose an innovative idea that would enable RBC to use big data to create a competitive advantage.

Adel Sedra, dean of Waterloo Engineering from 2003 to 2012, was invested in the Order of Ontario by the Honourable David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario at a ceremony held January 23 at Queen's Park. Sedra was recognized for his "seminal work which has resulted in major developments in fields ranging from medical technology to wireless communications."

Brigette Lau (BASc, CompE, 1999) and Chamath Palihapitiya (BASc, ElectE, 1999) partners of The Social + Capital Partnership in Palo Alto, CA, returned to campus on January 23 to announce two new prizes of $40,000 each for Capstone Design in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Ralph Haas, distinguished professor emeritus of civil engineering, was presented with the Roy W Crum Award, the highest honour of the Transportation Research Board of the US National Academies.  He received the award at the board's annual conference in Washington, DC on January 15, 2014 for his "outstanding leadership in transportation research."  Haas is only the second Canadian in 63 years to receive the prestigious award.

A team of Master of Business Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) students is one of five finalist groups that will compete in the RBC Next Great Innovator Challenge being held January 17 at RBC's Toronto headquarters. The students will present to a senior panel of RBC executives and the winning team will receive $24,000.

Calvin Chu and Ashish Bidadi, both 2013 mechatronics engineering graduates, are using old technology - buttons, dials and sliders - to make it easier and faster to use computers.

And, according to an article in the Waterloo Region Record, a lot of people think they're taking their startup, Palette, in the right direction. Chu and Bidadi recently raised $158,470 on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, far exceeding their $100,000 goal.

3, 2, 1, LEGO!  Those words opened each competitive heat on Saturday at the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) West Ontario Championships, held at the University of Waterloo.  Some very focused 9 to 14 year olds were competing in the 2013 FLL challenge, Nature's Fury.