A warm welcome to our 700+ new undergraduate and graduate students! Whether you are a new or returning student, we want to support you in your transition to campus. Start by reviewing campus resources.
The Faculty of Environment is pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Rowlands has been appointed Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, effective September 1, 2025. He succeeds Dr. Peter Deadman, who is beginning a sabbatical after three years of dedicated leadership.
We are honoured to welcome Sir Andrew Steer as the 2025 TD Walter Bean Professor in Environment. This fall, he will join the Faculty of Environment to deliver two compelling lectures exploring how leaders, innovators, and citizens can rise to meet the world’s most urgent environmental challenges — for nature, our cities and for our shared future.
Our heartfelt congratulations to our new alumni who had their accomplishments celebrated at this week’s convocation ceremony. With their degrees now in hand, these new alumni are ready to make meaningful contributions to the world’s most pressing challenges. From tackling climate change and shaping sustainable cities to safeguarding natural environments and forging unique partnerships, we are confident they are ready to take on the world — and make it better.
Third-year Knowledge Integration students showcased their final museum-style projects touching on reimagining the future of our health and society.
We are thrilled to share that Natasha Serrao, PhD candidate in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, was selected as a finalist in the 2025 SSHRC’s Storytellers Challenge! The SSHRC challenges postsecondary students nationwide to demonstrate, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how their research is positively impacting our lives, our world, and our future.
Two PhD students in the Faculty of Environment are among the recipients of the 2025 Flight 302 Legacy Award. The award, valued at $10,000, is named for Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that crashed in March 2019 near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
We are thrilled to share that Faculty of Environment graduate students, Adwoa Appiah, Bhargav Singh Thakur, Jake E. Ferguson, and Kate Manninger were selected as finalists in the 2025 GRADflix competition. They were recognized for their exceptional ability to convey their innovative research in just 60 seconds.
After more than four decades of dedicated service, Faye Schultz is stepping away from her role, leaving a lasting impact on the University of Waterloo. As she departs, Tara Charlton has been appointed executive officer, and Tyler Batchelor joins as faculty financial officer, ensuring strong leadership for the Faculty of Environment’s future.
The dean of the Faculty of Environment, Bruce Frayne, reflects on 2024’s achievements, including the launch of Environment 2035, transformative student experiences, and groundbreaking initiatives like the Future Cities Institute. He expresses gratitude to the community and leadership for their resilience and collaboration. Looking ahead to 2025, he shares optimism for a sustainable and equitable future.