News

Attendees of the third annual Norman Esch Pitch Competition witnessed Nanotechnology Engineering students at their persuasive best. Three Nanotechnology Engineering teams, Amilent, Arylla and GraFET, were among a competitive group that pitched the business plan they developed as part of the Capstone Design Project. Congratulations to the Amilent and GraFET teams for their successful pitches, which won each team a $10,000 prize.

The Davis Centre buzzed with excitement as 21 Nanotechnology Engineering teams presented their fourth year design project research and poster displays at this year’s Capstone Design Symposium on March 16, 2016. Projects were categorized within the four themes of study: NEMS, nanoelectronics & nanofluidics; instrumentation & nanophotonics; nanofunctional materials; and nanobiotechnology & biomedical.

Fourth-year University of Waterloo Nanotechnology Engineering students Laura Bahlmann, Eric Beauregard, Wenbo Cui and Stuart Murray won second place in the Innovative Design category of the Canadian Engineering Competition, which was held at McGill University March 3-6, 2016.

Competitors at this invite-only event must first beat their peers at their own university and then at a regional competition. The GraFET team did this on their home turf, at the Ontario Engineering Competition held at Waterloo in January.

In some circles, the study of nanotechnology has a reputation for leading to a career in research. One of University of Waterloo’s successful nanotechnology engineering undergraduate students, Katarin Ilic (class of 2013), knows firsthand that it can also be a springboard to many other exciting opportunities.

The GraFET team (L-R): Stuart Murray, Wenbo Cui, Eric Beauregard and Laura Bahlmann.

Congratulations to fourth-year University of Waterloo nanotechnology engineering students Laura Bahlmann, Eric Beauregard, Wenbo Cui and Stuart Murray for their achievements at the recent Ontario Engineering Competition, held at the University of Waterloo January 29-31, 2016.

Youssef Helwa, CEO of the startup NERv, used expertise gained through University of Waterloo’s Nanotechnology Engineering program to develop an implantable biochip that uses multiple biosensors to detect post-operative complications, such as inflammation, internal bleeding, bacterial infection, ischemia, and internal leakages. 

NERv, co-founded by Youssef and Amr Abdelgawad, is one of the first members of the Velocity Science program. Youseff has some great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Former University of Waterloo Nanotechnology Engineering undergraduate student Babak Shokouhi and his team at NanoDevice Solutions Inc. have developed a novel process to batch-manufacture high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes. NanoDevice Solutions is the only company in the world making high aspect ratio tips in batches, which makes the tips affordable. Read the full story at the CMC Microsystems website.

Schlumberger-Celluforce-Waterloo Design Competition Participants

University of Waterloo’s nanotechnology undergrads are already using their expertise to make our world a better place.

Ryan Marchewka (4A Nanotechnology Engineering) and Matt Lavrisa (Nanotechnology Engineering ’15)

Nanotechnology Engineering student teams won at the Fall 2015 Velocity Fund Finals with projects based on a company developing display technology that increases the battery life and daylight visibility of mobile devices to another creating apparel that prevents sweat stains.

The first ever Waterloo Undergraduate Nanotechnology Conference (WUNC) was held at the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre on Saturday, November 7, 2015.  The conference featured presentations and posters by researchers, graduate students, and industry members, at the cutting edge of nanotechnology.  This conference was fully organized by undergraduate students from the Nanotechnology Engineering program who took the initiative and wanted to seize the opportunity to learn more about the scope of nanotechnology in academia as well as industry.