News

A local marine tech startup is moving into defence and public safety with a new class of high-performance, zero-emission boats designed to strengthen surveillance along Canada's coastlines.

ENVGO, founded by triple Waterloo Engineering alum Dr. Mike Peasgood (BASc '98, MASc '04, PhD '08, systems design engineering), designs and builds electric vessels that use hydrofoiling technology to glide above the water's surface.

Waterloo Engineering graduate Jarett Dewbury (BASc ’26, biomedical engineering) crossed the stage at convocation this month and is now heading to MIT to do full-time research in advanced AI for health-care applications.

Dewbury is the winner of this year’s Pearl Sullivan Emerging Global Leaders (PS EGL) Award, one of the Faculty of Engineering's highest student honours, in recognition of his work as a student to make advanced AI more accessible in health care and across Waterloo's student community.

An interdisciplinary team from the University of Waterloo premiered an interactive art exhibit that brings the story of the Athabasca Glacier to life, blending science, technology and art to spark deeper conversations about climate change. 

The Life and Legacy of the Athabasca Glacier was created by researchers and students from the Faculties of Engineering, Environment and Arts, in collaboration with multimedia artists and imagery provided by Guardians of the Ice.

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.