News

A team of applied mathematicians at the University of Waterloo have developed a new method that uses artificial intelligence to foresee the most likely mutations of pathogens like SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The new research has implications for the rapid development of vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests that would be much less likely to be impacted by new or emerging variants of concern.

Completing an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Mathematics is a journey.
 
For Victoria Novakovskaya, the valedictorian for the fall 2021 cohort, it was a journey with highs and lows, and one that led to a deeper appreciation for the beauty of math.

“I don’t know how to phrase it,” she said. “It’s a field I’ve been studying for years, but I feel like it’s something I keep discovering all over again. It’s such a beautiful science.”

Mohamed Omar, an associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College in Pasadena, California, has been awarded the inaugural AMS Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship.

The yearlong fellowship was established to further excellence in mathematics research and to help generate wider and sustained participation by Black mathematicians.

Shihabur R. Chowdhury has received the 2021 Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic performance in a doctoral program. Conferred by Alumni Relations, the prestigious institutional award has honoured top graduating students at convocation since 1970.

The K.D. Fryer Gold Medal is conferred at fall convocation to one graduating student each academic year. This year’s award goes to Jordan Long (BMath, ‘21).

Long graduated in June with an honours degree, having completed a major in pure mathematics and a minor in computer science. In every semester throughout his program, he kept up an excellent academic standing and graduated on the dean’s honours list.

Applied mathematics master's student Brian Mao is part of a team set to compete with rivals from around the world for a US $1-million top prize at the Indy Autonomous Challenge on Saturday.

Researchers in applied mathematics are developing a program that could be added to the COVID alert app used on smartphones to better target vaccination campaigns.

Researchers in the Cheriton School of Computer Science are developing what could be the next big breakthrough in wearable technology. 

The new innovation in display tech, which the researchers are calling PocketView, uses LED lights to show basic information. It can function as a stand-alone piece of tech or could be incorporated into existing or next-generation smart devices.

Maclean's has released its annual rankings of Canadian universities. The University of Waterloo continues to excel overall, and more specifically in ranking categories related to the Faculty of Mathematics.

The annual Small c Math Contest was held on September 27th. For the first time ever, the contest was administrated online, after taking a one-year pause in 2020 due to the pandemic.