News

A technology startup company founded by two Waterloo Engineering professors has earned a spot in the finals of an international pitch competition for water innovations.

AquaSensing, which was launched by WIN member Norman Zhou and George Shaker in 2019, booked its spot in the global Water Dragons event by finishing second in an Ontario heat featuring eight companies.

Aging is a disease that can be fought with the appropriate combinations of supplements and behaviours, according to new research from the University of Waterloo.

Using a comprehensive mathematical model, the researchers also found that the best time of day for someone to take these supplements depends on their age. Some anti-aging supplements should be taken by young people at night, while older people should take it midday for the greatest effectiveness.

Seeing is believing when it comes to diversity in academia, according to the inaugural director of the new Indigenous and Black Engineering Technology (IBET) PhD Project. 

The province is investing $2.5 million to accelerate the development of wearable contact tracing technology Waterloo Engineering researchers helped design.

The government’s Ontario Together Fund will provide Facedrive Inc., a Toronto-based technology company, with the funding for its TraceSCAN system that alerts users to possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace.

Congratulations to WIN member Professor Graham Murphy of the Department of Chemistry, who was awarded the 2021 Keith Fagnou Award by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC). The award, sponsored by the University of Ottawa and the CSC’s Organic Chemistry Division, is presented to a distinguished organic chemist in Canada within 12 years of receiving their PhD.

A startup company launched by researchers at Waterloo Engineering won $50,000 this week in a pitch competition for cancer innovations.

Air Microfluidic Systems was co-founded last year by Carolyn Ren, WIN member and a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, and one of her graduate students, PhD candidate Run Ze Gao.

Congratulations to WIN member Jean Duhamel, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, who was awarded the 2021 Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award by the Chemical Institute of Canada. The award is presented to an individual who “has made a distinguished contribution to macromolecular science or engineering.

You would rarely hear anyone say “game-changing” in the typically “conservative” construction industry. But thanks to the nanocomposite technology developed by Trusscore, this is precisely what is happening. They are working closely with Professor Beth Weckman who is a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) at the University of Waterloo. Gypsum drywalls became mainstream in construction materials about 80 years ago, and it is now a massive sector.

Single-use, medical-grade gloves could be safely reused up to 20 times when using certain disinfection methods – a welcome piece of news for frontline healthcare workers facing PPE shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a new study of six viral disinfection treatments on two commonly used types of disposable gloves worn for personal protection throughout the pandemic, researchers at the University of Waterloo found that alcohol, UV and heat treatment could be acceptable disinfection methods that allow the reuse of gloves up to 20 cycles.

Each year, Waterloo Engineering recognizes Faculty members for their outstanding contributions and unwavering dedication to education and research. The recipients of the Faculty's four faculty and staff awards were recently announced by Mary Wells, dean of engineering, and celebrated virtually. This year three WIN members were awarded, see below for their names along with the award descriptions.

The Engineering Research Excellence Award honours outstanding research accomplishments, innovative ideas and dedication to the Faculty’s research. The award honorees are: