Feature

Working on purpose

Waterloo's new Future-Ready Talent Framework helps students and employers engage in meaningful work

Finding purpose in a pandemic with talent and technology

Two Waterloo alumni wanted to make an impact on a world in crisis

A scientist works on a vaccine while an engineer develops COVID-19 screening tool

Normalizing the struggle

When finding your purpose isn't a straight path

The pandemic has highlighted how careers in public health are among the most impactful jobs in health care

World-renowned architect says ideals come before ideas

Alison Brooks brings joy and her values to solving big problems

Architecture alumni are designing with purpose to address three global crises

A flying car with a larger purpose

A co-op term at Tesla opened the door to big dreams.

Building a flying car sounds like something out of science fiction but two alumni say their venture is grounded in a larger purpose

Don't call me an urban planning pioneer

Katie Turriff’s reconnection with her Mohawk heritage sparked interest in decolonizing her profession.

Katie Turriff’s reconnection with her Mohawk heritage sparked interest in decolonizing her profession.

Unlocking a purposeful career in her family story

An award-winning scholar is inspired by her mother's career as a care worker

Kimberly Lopez is working to bring care work in long-term care out of the shadows

Making bricks from recycled plastic for more sustainable housing

GreenBricks co-founders want plastics out of the oceans and landfills and into affordable housing for marginalized communities

Marc Mirella-Sanchez (BES in progress) discovered something extraordinary on a trip to Colombia: a company building schools with bricks made from recycled plastic at a fraction of the cost of conventional building materials.

Painting outside the lines

From studying science to building a business as a thriving artist

Pursuing a science degree while competing on the varsity tennis team prepared Trisha Abe for her career as an artist

Putting his trauma to work for others

Researching homophobia for real-world impact

Harrison Oakes once dropped out of high school after being bullied for being gay. This year he received one of Canada’s most prestigious academic honours.

She started university at 14 – then found her purpose by iterating

A brilliant researcher and founder of the Engage Africa Foundation says getting used to change is one way to find your purpose

When she arrived for her first year of studies at the University of Waterloo, Ebele Mogo (BSc ’09) was just 14 years old and already a top science student in her home country of Nigeria.

The inside scoop on Four All Ice Cream

From chemical engineer to starting a sustainable ice cream business

Ajoa Mintah’s path from chemical engineer to building her own ice cream company is grounded in process

When friends become founders on the front line of climate change

Two women who launched the Youth Climate Lab are redefining how friends who share values can bring purpose to their careers.

Two women who launched the Youth Climate Lab are redefining how friends can bring purpose to their careers.

Your alumni club

Get the latest news, events and perks for Waterloo alumni

Your alumni club

Get the latest news and invitations to future events.

Co-op education is critical to COVID-19 recovery in Canada

Waterloo helps build a resilient workforce

Waterloo will lead students and businesses out of the current crisis with research-based innovations in work-integrated learning

45 years later: The enduring legacy of Mike Moser

The 6’6” forward was Canada’s leading scorer. He seemed unstoppable during the 1974-75 men’s basketball season. Then the unimaginable happened.

No amount of talent could have prepared the Warriors for the tragedy they would face — but the team found a common purpose in the clouds of grief

Indigenous and homeless is more than being houseless

Home is about culture and connection not just buildings

Celebrated Indigenous author says COVID-19 crisis exposes flaw in Indigenous housing in Canada

Welcoming 100,000+ newcomers to Canada

Albert Wong (BSc ’80) is a citizenship judge who wants newcomers to feel at home from their very first moments as Canadians

Autonomous cleaning robots protect us during and after COVID-19

Pandemic increases demand for Waterloo alumni’s Neo robot

As institutions disinfect their facilities, Avidbots protects frontline cleaners from exposure

Can Canadian sports survive climate change and COVID-19?

Winter activities like skiing and skating bring us together as a country

COVID-19 and climate change will transform iconic Canadian sports and tourism

COVID-19 highlights importance of Waterloo blood startup

Engineering and scientific talent in Canada help scale R&D

Membio is developing technology to manufacture fully functioning blood, so our supply isn’t dependent on blood donors

Waterloo’s first virtual pitch competition awards Canadian startup

BeBlended is innovating for Black women in the beauty industry

A supportive community of clients and $5,000 from Velocity Concept helped Aileen Agada stabilize her beauty company during the pandemic

Buzz-worthy beauty

Boosh is a line of clean cosmetics made with beeswax from the apiary on a sustainable farm owned by Waterloo alumni

Sarah Vanderheyden (BES ’13) operates out of a renovated milking parlour, where she hand-makes her line of products

Climate hope: How the ‘artificial leaf’ made its way to Canada

Waterloo’s unique intellectual property policy and Canada’s inclusive environment create a culture for innovation

“My passion is not just doing science in the lab. I want to make an impact on society”

Company founded by Waterloo alumni connects people during COVID-19

Vidyard launches free video tool for teachers

Vidyard volunteers are helping health-care workers with everything from grocery pickup to dog walking, while teachers get free video tools for virtual classes

Family farm serves up meals, sanitizer and drive-thru spirits

Waterloo alumni, who transformed an ailing dairy acreage into a sustainable farm, distillery and restaurant, respond to COVID-19

How Jordan (BES ’13) and Nolan Vanderheyden (BASc ’16) serve their community during the pandemic

Fastest-growing tech company in Canada responds to COVID-19

ApplyBoard raises $100 million and doubles down on commitment to international students and co-op ed

“Student success and well-being are always at the centre of everything we do”

Gold medallist offers advice to Olympic athletes on hold

Heather Moyse (BSc ’00) says mental management will be key for Canadian athletes training for the postponed Olympic Games in 2021

Pandemic impacts Indigenous businesses across Canada

Waterloo alumnus leads national Aboriginal council that supports Indigenous businesses adapting to the COVID-19 economy

Tabatha Bull (BASc ’00) talks about the impact COVID-19 is having on Indigenous communities across Canada

EVERYDAY SUPERHUMANS

The future of human health imagined at Waterloo

Meet the incredible alumni expanding the limits of human health.

Exploring the genetic link to autism

Alumnus stands at the forefront of emerging genomic research

One man's degree in biology activated a ground-breaking career unlocking the healing potential of our DNA.

Their time to be heard

Using technology to empower children with disabilities

This alumnus dedicated his life to helping children with complex disabilities express themselves in new ways.

One small step for kids

Alumni design robotic exoskeleton to support children with mobility impairments

These Waterloo inventors built a robotic exoskeleton enabling children with disabilities to take their very first steps.

Eight inventions that could save your life

Superhuman technology

Humanity stands at the threshold of a new frontier of health. These alumni-powered HealthTech gadgets are taking us there faster than we can imagine.

A dose of reality

Using virtual populations to safely test and improve medication use

A researcher and her team of alumni are making one-size-fits-all medication a thing of the past.

A prescription for front-line care

Meet alumni delivering critical care in underserved Canadian communities

In every corner of the country you’ll find alumni working as pharmacists and optometrists with a duty to deliver critical care in underserved communities.

Everybody hurts

Two alumni discuss how to responsibly dispense opioids and marijuana for pain

Two alumni discuss how to responsibly manage opioids and marijuana for pain.

Fighting HIV with nanomedicine and 3D printing

Emmanuel Ho is developing an intra-vaginal ring to protect women from disease

Emmanuel Ho is developing a 3D-printed intra-vaginal ring that provides highly precise doses of medication to protect women from getting HIV – the virus that causes AIDS and kills one million people globally each year.

It's a dangerous day in the neighbourhood

Alerting your family to the health threats in their everyday environment

This alumnus wants to alert you and your family to the often invisible health threats in our everyday environment.

Master any emotion in three helpful steps

One alumnus is helping people understand their mental health in a turbulent world

The science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on a par with the discoveries of relativity in physics and natural selection in biology.

Take a number

Is math the antidote to waiting room uncertainty?

Can math be the antidote to the confusion and uncertainty of the waiting room?

Treating cancer with fewer side effects

Algorithms and quantum sensors give doctors a critical edge

Breakthroughs in quantum technologies and data science are changing the landscape of cancer treatments.

With a little help from my friends

Alumnus gets life-saving care and a sense of connection from fellow Waterloo alumni

In need of a double lung transplant to save his life, alumnus Eric Celentano, got the support he needed from two Waterloo alumni who followed their hearts to careers in health care.

A Tale of Three Cities

Urbanization is the next great disruption

Urbanization is the next great disruption.

The Mobile City:

Lanes, trains and autonomobiles

As our cities grow taller, our commutes are getting longer. Meet the Waterloo alumni solving our urban mobility crisis.

The Smart City:

The smartest street in the world

Meet the Waterloo minds using algorithms and AI to save time, lives and insurance claims at our busiest intersections.

The Resilient City:

Brewing renewal

Alumnus Callum Hay’s open-source recipe for better beer is helping revitalize a historic Toronto neighbourhood.

A subarctic commute by canoe

Turning down the urban grind to find love, opportunity and a commute by canoe

Waterloo alumni turned down the urban grind to find love, opportunity and a commute by canoe in Canada’s North

Are cities bad for your health?

VR can show how humans are adjusting to life in our concrete jungles

On a crowded urban street corner, a crush of people waits for a pedestrian crossing signal. Above them 20, 30, 60-story concrete and glass skyscrapers block out the sun. Cars made of steel, powered by gasoline, hurtle past. It’s enough to make anyone feel a little uneasy.