News

Graduate student Drew Davidson (BASc '11, nanotechnology and MEng '16, chemical engineering) is working to develop novel material to create firefighting gear that will not degrade and cause occupational cancer. 

Now working towards his PhD in chemical engineering, Davidson’s innovative research has earned him a new Deep Tech Scholarship — the first of its kind in Canada that was recently launched by Dr. Mary Wells, dean of Waterloo Engineering.

Using a tiny camera — just one-third of a millimetre in diameter — doctors at The Ottawa Hospital diagnosed and treated a patient suffering from multiple strokes.

Invented by Vena Medical, a company co-founded by two Waterloo Engineering alumni Michael Phillips and Phillip Cooper (both BASc ’17, mechanical engineering), the MicroAngioscope™ camera can pinpoint the cause of a stroke attack and treat the patient in just one hour. 

Waterloo-based 1Mentor’s recent acquisition by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the world’s largest global higher education network, underscores the urgent need for better data collection and use in higher education institutions.  

Waterloo Engineering and Math alum Esteban Veintimilla (MBET ’22, BMath ’18) co-founded 1Mentor in 2021. The company’s artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technology sifts through employers’ job postings to provide insights into employers' needs and identify skills required for success. It also equips higher education institutions with the information they need to adjust programming to address the skills gap.   

Waterloo Engineering researchers are tapping into idled electric vehicles to act as mobile generators and help power overworked and aging electricity grids.

The team, led by Dr. XiaoYu Wu, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, analyzed energy demand on Alberta’s power grid during rush hour and proposes an innovative way to replenish electrical grids with power generated from fuel cells in trucks.

The University of Waterloo and Waterloo Engineering are well-positioned to be a driving force in the growing Canadian electric vehicle (EV) market.  

Waterloo Engineering teams actively engage in the design, construction and modification of vehicles destined for international competitions and auto shows. These teams undergo evaluation based on design excellence, problem-solving, performance, crashworthiness, fuel economy and environmental friendliness of their vehicles. 

The McCall McBain Foundation has made a gift to provide additional support to the Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology PhD Project (IBET). The grant will ensure the continued success of a range of important program initiatives and will significantly contribute to the growing community of IBET Momentum Fellows.

Over the next three years this gift will help fund key aspects of the program including assistance for fellows looking to travel to the annual fall IBET Conference. Money will also go to an honorarium for an Indigenous Elder and cultural competency events designed to enrich the community. In addition, the grant will help safeguard the future of the program by supporting a recruitment event aimed at attracting new IBET Momentum Fellows.