News

Dr. Vinny Gupta in mechanical and mechatronics (MME) engineering and Dr. Joshua Pulsipher in chemical engineering were featured on CTV Kitchener for their research on using AI to predict how fires in modern houses behave. The analysis will improve building codes, help emergency responders, and help improve future home evacuation systems.  

Gupta received the Silver Combustion Medal from The Combustion Institute for research showing that chemically enhanced water mist is more effective than water alone at suppressing large fires. 

Artificial intelligence is driving a surge in data centres being built around the world, but what’s embedded in those data centres are the lithium-ion batteries that keep data centres running, and research is being done in MME’s Fire Research Group to keep those centres running.    

Jeffrey Lee, a PhD candidate in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, is being celebrated for his tenacity as a teaching assistant and has received the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student. 

Professor Mary Robinson received an award in the educator category at the 2026 Kitchener Waterloo Oktoberfest BMO Women of the Year Awards for her commitment to student-centred learning and innovation in engineering education.  

Dr. Duane Cronin has received a Safety Engineering Excellence Award from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the 28th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety Vehicles (ESV) in Toronto on May 12, 2026, for his commitment to advancing road safety.  

Dr. Sushanta Mitra, a professor in the department, along with two professors in chemical engineering, have been awarded $600,000 by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Call for Proposals on Plastics Science and Innovation for a Cleaner and More Sustainable Future.  

MME professor Amir Khajepour has been elected as a fellow to the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE)--one of the highest honours the profession bestows in Canada.

As research into cancer and potential treatments advances, life expectancy from past treatments continues to grow. However, this amazing progress is not without challenges; lymphedema remains a difficult-to-address complication. Lymphedema happens when lymph nodes are damaged or removed during radiation treatments, which stops lymphatic fluid from properly draining and can cause painful swelling. This is treated with compression therapy. However, the devices used are large and bulky, requiring significant power to operate. These factors make the device quite expensive, often costing up to $3,000, and require the patient to sit still while it runs.

A team led by the faculties of Engineering and Environment successfully launched a space balloon on a recent trip to Sweden as part of the REXUS/BEXUS Programme, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA). The programme that allows institutions to conduct scientific and technological research using balloons and rockets.