New and Noteworthy

A Year of Celebration for Dr. Rajibul Islam: Quantum Innovations, Teaching Excellence, and Philanthropic Efforts on a Global Scale

The Department of Physics & Astronomy is proud to congratulate Dr. Rajibul Islam on his election as Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), a prestigious recognition reserved for those who make groundbreaking contributions to physics and science education. In addition to this prestigious recognition, Dr. Islam was awarded the Excellence in Science Teaching Award for his innovative and inspiring approach to teaching quantum mechanics and optics.

Local high school student receives the highest score in the world on SIN exam

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at UWaterloo hosts The Sir Isaac Newton (SIN) Exam every year and this year, Zander Li from Waterloo received the highest score in the world, beating out 3076 other students from around the globe. This year, over 1200 students outside of Canada participated in the exam from countries like Australia, India, China and Japan, making it a truly international competition.

Supporting Student Success: Creation of the Physics Tutorial Centre

In response to the evolving needs of students within the Department of Physics & Astronomy, the Physics Tutorial Centre was established in September 2023 to provide free tutoring services to our undergraduate students.

LumeNeuro: Pioneering Early and Affordable Detection of Neurodegenerative Diseases

LumeNeuro is gaining widespread attention across the world! The Alzheimer’s Association and MATTER (a premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub) started an annual pitch competition a couple of years ago – a place where startups and entrepreneurs compete to showcase their solutions, this year for increasing access to quality, person-centered care for underserved people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

PHYS 10: The Student-Run Weekly Stop for Physics Seminars

Like many other initiatives on campus, PHYS10 struggled over the pandemic. Despite this, PHYS10 is back and it's better than ever with a fresh team of dedicated undergraduate students. The new team has one hope, to make Phys10 the highlight of your week with approachable seminars about the frontiers of the field with some snacks on the side.

Award and Research Highlights

Research is a big part of what we do in the Physics and Astronomy Department. Some notable research news since the last issue can be found here.

Awards & Research Highlights

Returning to the new normal, our post-lockdown research and teaching efforts have been booming! Get caught up on what our faculty members and research groups have been up to.

Canada's Quantum Future

Dr. Raymond Laflamme will lead the advisory council for Canada's National Quantum Strategy

Dr. Raymond Laflamme to take up position as co-chair of the National Quantum Strategy. Their aim is to amplify Canada’s existing global leadership in quantum research and grow Canada’s quantum technologies, companies and talent.

News on Nobel

Interview with Kevin Resch

This years’s Nobel prize in physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”. This year’s prize has a few special connections with UW. Alain Aspect received an honorary doctorate from the faculty of Science in 2014. In addition a number of our own faculty within IQC have worked in the Zeilinger group. One of those faculty is Waterloo’s own Kevin Resch. We caught up with Kevin to ask him about his perspective on this year’s prize.

Award and Research Highlights

Innovations from faculty and students continued remotely as lockdowns and restrictions continued throughout 2021. Highlights include a Vanier Scholarship, the Pontifical Academy of Science, evidence of a fifth dimension, baryons, and qubits in space.

Honours and Awards

Members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy have been recognized worldwide for their great research, outstanding teaching, and scientific community work.

Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics

Rob Mann was awarded the prestigious CAP Medal, 2019

The Canadian Association of Physicists Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching honours faculty members who have a comprehensive knowledge and deep understanding of their subject, and who possess an exceptional ability to communicate their knowledge and understanding in such a way as to lead their students to high academic achievement in physics. After decades of dedication to, and passion for, teaching in all aspects of training a physicist, Dr. Mann is recognized with the highest teaching honour that the CAP can bestow.

Overcoming COVID-19 Through Online Learning

COVID-19 has affected everyone and their daily routines. Although change can be a shock to the system, we live in a time where adapting to change has never been easier thanks to the technological advancements at our disposal. Read about how this shift towards online lecturing has changed the future of teaching in our department, and how we have leveraged various tools to prepare for upcoming online courses.

Honours and Awards

Members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy have been recognized worldwide for their great research, outstanding teaching, and scientific community work.

Let’s get Astrophysical

New Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics looks to the cosmos to solve the greatest mysteries of the Universe

The Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics (WCA) looks to the cosmos to solve the greatest mysteries of the universe. Here, world-class researchers and students come together in an atmosphere of curiosity, creativity and collaboration; exploring our cosmic origin to truly understand the physical processes at work in the Universe. From black holes to cosmology, we aim to understand what lies beyond the Earth. The possibilities for new discovery are limitless.

New Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada

Two professors of the Department of Physics and Astronomy were named fellows of the Royal Society of Canada.

Highlights of a Career in Audio and Electroacoustics

University of Waterloo Distinguished Professor Emeritus, John Vanderkooy, received 2018 Peter Barnett Memorial Award, for significant contributions to reproduced sound, and audio and electroacoustics education.

As one chapter ends, another begins

Judy is packing up for retirement

When we think of universities, we think of rules and regulations, budgets and buildings. But at their heart, universities are really groups of people. Whether things work, how things seem, how well we do; it all comes down to the people. In June 2019, Judy McDonnell, our graduate coordinator, will be retiring. She has been an integral part of the department and her warm smile and welcoming personality will be missed.

Quantum information research pioneer invested into the Order of Canada

Waterloo physicist Raymond Laflamme has been invested as an Officer to the Order of Canada for his significant scientific and leadership contributions to the country.

36 years went by too fast!

Join us on December 5th at 4pm to celebrate Rohan

When asked what he would miss most about the department, Rohan replied that the support he received from all levels including the department chairs, and the administrative staff, but most of all, the students. Rohan is a special educator who has touched the lives of thousands of students and has left them with a positive memory of their time at the University of Waterloo.