News

A Waterloo Engineering professor has been recognized with a provincial engineering medal for research and development.

Dr. David Clausi, a University Research Chair and professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering, has been awarded the Ontario Professional Engineers Award (OPEA) Engineering Medal in Research and Development.

A PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering has been recognized for exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo.

Ryan Tennant, a systems design engineering doctoral student, is the recipient of the 2026 Certificate in University Teaching (CUT) Award, presented by the Centre for Teaching Excellence. The CUT program recognizes graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who demonstrate a strong commitment to evidence-based, inclusive teaching.

A professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering has received the University of Waterloo's most prestigious academic honour.

Dr. John McPhee, the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Biomechatronic System Dynamics, was named a University Professor at this week's Board of Governors meeting — a designation recognizing exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence. Waterloo awards the designation to at most three faculty members each year.

A group of fourth-year mechanical engineering students on the Waterloo Rocketry team designed, built and tested a fully reusable rocket engine for their Capstone Design project.

Called Project Sisyphus, the engine will make test flying rockets significantly easier and more affordable for competitive rocketry teams.

Wygo, an event platform that helps people build communities outside, has secured nearly $1.6 million in pre-seed funding to grow business.

Co-founded in 2023 by Jocelyne Murphy and Christopher Oka (both BASc ’25, systems design engineering), Wygo supports community builders. The company helps people create events that attract attendees and helps them manage the finances of running events.

Dr. Catherine Burns, a professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Human Factors in Healthcare Systems, has received the University of Waterloo’s Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision.

As director of the Advanced Interface Design Lab, Burns has built an internationally recognized research program in human-centred design and artificial intelligence in healthcare, attracting more than $27 million in funding and producing more than 330 publications.

The Vision and Image Processing (VIP) Research Group at Waterloo Engineering is one of Canada's most productive AI research engines — generating more than $12 million in research funding, launching more than 10 spin-off companies and training hundreds of students.

Led by Drs. David Clausi, John Zelek, Paul Fieguth and Alexander Wong in the Department of Systems Design Engineering, VIP applies computer vision and machine learning to real-world challenges in health care, sports, climate monitoring, robotics, smart cities and manufacturing.

A Waterloo Engineering professor was among a select group of experts recognized this year with one of the most prestigious honours in the electrical and computing fields, an award reserved for fewer than one-tenth of one per cent of eligible members worldwide.

Dr. David Clausi was elevated to the grade of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow for his contributions to computer vision and machine learning for automated interpretation of remote sensing imagery.

A systems design engineering professor at Waterloo was elected as a new fellow of an international society that recognizes leaders improving the quality and impact of software worldwide.

Dr. Alexander Wong was named a Fellow of the Institution of Analysts and Programmers (IAP), an honour that acknowledges individuals who advance software practices that benefit industry and communities. He joins a global network of professionals committed to strengthening how software serves society.

University of Waterloo alumni David J. Cornfield (BASc ’85, LLD ’24) and Linda Archer Cornfield (LLD ’24) visited campus to announce their transformational investment of $10.5 million to the Faculty of Engineering’s Department of Systems Design Engineering. 

The gift advances the department's educational impact, equipping engineers to bridge systems thinking with design practice to create integrated, participatory and human-focused solutions to pressing global challenges.