News

Scribenote, an AI-powered veterinary scribe co-founded by Faculty of Engineering alumni Alina Pavel (BASc ’21, nanotechnology engineering) and Ryan Gallagher (BASc ‘21, nanotechnology engineering), has raised $8.2 million in seed funding.

The investment round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from Inovia Capital, the Velocity Fund, and angel investors.

Hack the North, Canada’s largest hackathon, took place in E7 of the Faculty of Engineering, attracting over 1,000 young innovators for 36 hours of creativity and collaboration. Participants worked on a wide range of tech projects, from software applications to hardware gadgets, while also building connections and a strong sense of community.

Co-op students from Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering have been making important contributions to healthcare innovation at SickKids.

Dr. Eman Rezk, an NSERC Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named a 2024 recipient of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Alice Wilson Award. This award is presented annually to three women of outstanding academic qualifications in the fields of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, or Science, recognizing excellence at the postdoctoral level.

University of Waterloo researchers, led by Dr. Michael Tam and Dr. Yuning Li from the Department of Chemical Engineering, have developed an energy-efficient device that uses solar power to desalinate seawater, offering a sustainable solution to global water scarcity. The device mimics the natural water cycle, where water evaporates and condenses, preventing salt accumulation that typically hampers current desalination systems.

The Faculty of Engineering is excited to welcome its newest Schulich Leader Scholars, exceptional students who have received this prestigious scholarship for their achievements in STEM. Students pursuing an engineering degree will receive $120,000, with the scholarship covering university expenses.

Microplastics, tiny particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastic materials, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health due to their resistance to decomposition. Until now, scientists have struggled to fully understand how these particles degrade, especially at the microscopic level.

In a groundbreaking study, Waterloo Engineering researchers Dr. William Anderson and Dr. Boxin Zhao, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC), have used 3D imaging technology to examine microplastics in unprecedented detail, a critical step toward improving plastic recycling methods.

The University of Waterloo hosted a workshop for a mix of undergraduate and graduate students from the faculties of Health and Engineering to help advance their transdisciplinary design skills development. 

Called iSPARK - Innovation in Sensorimotor Skills Evaluation for Child Development: Making use of Adaptive Technologies, the one-day event provided 49 students from the University of Toronto, McMaster University, Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo with opportunities to work on projects in collaboration with peers from different disciplines to challenge and strengthen their approaches to problem-solving. 

Miswar Syed, a graduate student in The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has received the 2024 Young Leaders Award from the non-profit organization Walking Softer.

The Young Leaders Award is a prestigious recognition that includes a cash prize of up to $75,000 and a year-long program designed to support visionary young leaders who are making significant contributions to the conservation and regeneration of the planet.

A research team from the University of Waterloo has developed a new material that can absorb more than eight times its weight in oil. This innovation offers a new way to prevent groundwater pollution from spills or accidents.

Led by Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, the team designed a polymer foam that turns into a gel upon contact with oil.