News

A research team from the University of Waterloo is using radar technology to monitor people’s health while at the wheel, turning the ordinary car or truck into a mobile, medical hub.

Dr. George Shaker, an adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and Ali Gharamohammadi, the lead PhD student on the project, have integrated radar with evolving vehicle technology to make health checks easier—without the need for any type of wearable.

Waterloo Engineering student teams excelled at the 2024 Canadian Engineering Competition. Each year the competition (which started in Waterloo in 1985) brings together the brightest engineering students from across the country to compete in eight different competition categories.

At the Ontario Engineering Competition, five teams from Waterloo achieved 1^st or 2^nd place. This was followed by four placements for teams at the national competition.

Barbara Paldus (BASc ’93 electrical engineering, BMATH ’93) has established the Professor Josef Paldus Engineering Scholarship to advance innovation in biomedical engineering. 

The scholarship's inaugural recipient is Hana Karim, a first-year biomedical engineering student.  

Waterloo Engineering is known for encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship. But it was only in her fifth co-op term that Kayli Dale (BASc ‘20, chemical engineering), co-founder and CEO of Friendlier, understood the impact a founder can make and set out to launch her own business.  

In 2020, Dale and her friend Jacquie Hutchings (BASc ‘20, chemical engineering) launched Friendlier—a company aligned with their values and committed to eliminating single-use packaging with reusable containers.  

Dr. Mahla Poudineh, Assistant Professor and Director of the IDEATION Lab in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is one of five researchers to receive funding from the Ontario government.

Dr. Poudineh won the award for her project titled: A new transdermal patch to continuously and without pain track and treat diabetes.

AutoCate, a newly-launched membership-based platform geared toward women, aims to reduce fraud and discrimination in the auto repair industry.

Founded in 2020 by Waterloo Engineering alum Stefanie Bruinsma (BASc '15, mechanical engineering and MBET '21), the platform connects people in need of car repairs or advice with trusted experts and educators.

Frances Hallen, a fourth-year Environmental Engineering student, received the Co-op student of the year award for her work term at EDF Renewables.

In spring 2023, Hallen assisted in the development of solar and wind facilities across North America.

Dr. Peter Huck has been honoured for his commitment to graduate students’ success with an Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision.  

Huck, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the NSERC Chair in Water Treatment, has graduated close to 100 PhD and master’s students and supervised more than 15 postdoctoral scholars. 

Waterloo Engineering research received a boost from the Innovation Fund under the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program. 

Dr. Dipanjan Basu, a civil and environmental engineering professor, Dr. Kaan Erkorkmaz and Dr. Hamid Jahed, both mechanical and mechatronics engineering professors, Dr. Chris Eliasmith, a philosophy and systems design engineering professor, and Dr. Luis Ricardo Sandoval, a chemical engineering professor, were awarded over $19 million in funds to support their research projects and renewed chairs.   

A Waterloo Engineering research team has developed technology that can remove harmful nanoplastics from contaminated water.  

Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, professor of chemical engineering and Canada Research Chair in sustainable multiphase polymers, and grad student Rachel Blanchard’s (BASc ‘22, chemical engineering), innovative research can clear nanoplastics from wastewater systems with 94 per cent efficiency.