News

Six professors at Waterloo Engineering were awarded almost $1.5 million in federal funding today through a program created to encourage high-risk, high-reward, collaborative research.

The funding is part of $200 million in support announced for projects across the country through the New Frontiers in Research Fund. Campus-wide at the University of Waterloo, 10 projects are to receive a total of almost $3 million.

The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology PhD Project (IBET), led by Waterloo chemical engineering professor Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, is expanding its partnership with Mitacs to give Indigenous and Black PhD students the opportunity to conduct research at another Canadian IBET partner institution.

The IBET Connect Award, valued at $90,000, will be offered exclusively to IBET fellows by Mitacs. Up to 10 fellows will receive a stipend to travel to and conduct a two- to four-month research or innovation-based project at an IBET partner academic institution.

The University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) welcomed 17 elementary school classes on campus to learn about quantum information science and technology. 

These visits were part of a larger “Kids on Campus” program which provides school students with opportunities to see guest speakers and engage in activities focused on learning more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Organized by Waterloo’s Engineering Outreach, the program includes visits to other stops on campus such as the RoboHub and the Sedra Student Design Centre.

Waterloo-based e-commerce startup Perpetua is utilizing the power of co-op students to drive its global growth. 

Perpetua was co-founded by Waterloo Engineering alumnus Rosco Hill (BASc '03, electrical and computer engineering) and fellow University alumnus Joe Rideout (BMath '03). Since opening its doors in 2016, the company has grown from 40 employees to more than 200.

A new smart material developed by researchers at Waterloo Engineering is activated by both heat and electricity, making it the first ever to respond to two different stimuli.

The unique design paves the way for a wide variety of potential applications, including clothing that warms up while you walk from the car to the office in winter and vehicle bumpers that return to their original shape after a collision.

A student design team from the University of Waterloo took home one of the top prizes from an international competition to design and build highly energy-efficient homes.

Warrior Home, which is made up primarily of engineering undergraduate students, finished first in the engineering category, one of 10 categories at the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Waterloo Engineering alumnus Dilan Badshah (BASc ’17, civil engineering) understands the benefits of co-operative education from his own experiences in the co-op program.

As a New York Alumni Chapter member, he is now passionate about building a Waterloo community for current students working in New York City. 

Two teams from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) tied for the top spot for a faculty-wide sustainability prize for projects displayed during the recent Capstone Design symposia.

The GreenStem Group, made up of graduating students from the architectural engineering program, and YESA Consulting, representing the environmental engineering program, shared the Sustainable Development Capstone Design Award.

On Saturday, April 15, the world lost Distinguished Professor Emeritus Raymond L. Legge, a former chemical engineering professor and an irreplaceable member of the Waterloo Engineering community. He was 68 years old.

For over 35 years, Legge’s exemplary scholarship, teaching and service record helped elevate the University of Waterloo’s reputation as one of the world’s preeminent engineering schools.

Mikaela Lewis, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering doctoral candidate, is among four recipients across campus honoured with the Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student.

A teaching assistant for a third-year fluid mechanics course, Lewis is described as passionate and adaptable, ensuring her students can best understand the material she’s teaching. Her office hours are so popular that she hosts additional ones to meet her students’ needs.