Current students

The iron ring is small, sized to fit the little finger of an engineer’s working hand. Today it is more often made from stainless steel than iron. Though it doesn’t weigh much physically, it carries enormous symbolic weight, acting as a reminder to Canadian-trained professional engineers of the oath they took to do good, safe work that advances society.

Friendlier, a local startup tackling Canada’s single-use plastic problem head-on, recently closed a $4.5 million dollar funding round. The company, founded in 2019 by University of Waterloo alumni Jacqueline Hanton (BASc ’20) and Kayli Smith (BASc ’20), has raised a total of $10 million and kept almost 3.7 million food and beverage containers out of landfills.  

A new Heritage Minute from Historica Canada celebrates Dr. Anne Innis Dagg (PhD ’67, DSc ’19), a groundbreaking zoologist, animal rights advocate and feminist. Dagg received her doctorate degree in animal behaviour from the University of Waterloo and later returned to campus as a faculty member in Independent Studies.  

“For too long, we’ve looked at energy as an infrastructure issue, but we have to think about how it drives society” Chris Henderson said, opening his keynote at Waterloo’s inaugural Energy Transitions Networking Forum.

Three years ago, in front of a large gathering on campus, we made Waterloo’s first formal commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization, and decolonization. It was a moving moment and a highlight of my presidency. It was also only the beginning of a much longer journey. 

This year, as we once again mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I am reminded of how far we have come and how much work still lies ahead. While this year's ceremony is my last one as President and Vice-Chancellor, I know that the University’s commitment will continue.

In Dr. Dale Martin’s lab at the University of Waterloo, his team is leading biomedical research, making innovative advancements in treating neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington disease and ALS.

Among the team is Yusra Kureshi (BSc ’25), recipient of the 2025 Huntington Society of Canada (HSC) Student Fellowship. Kureshi first joined the Martin lab in January as a volunteer, where her potential as a researcher quickly stood out.

Canada’s largest student-led hackathon returned to the University of Waterloo for its annual weekend of intense innovation. More than 1000 student hackers from around the world gathered at the Faculty of Engineering to experience 36 hours of fast builds and fun games. 

In keeping with the Hack the North motto, Dream Big and Build, this year’s student organizing team added exciting new elements to pull people together and encourage more play. These included the inaugural Waterloo Tech Week, Goose Games and an attempt to break a Guinness World Record which succeeded! 

An eclectic mix of 30 students joined forces at the University of Waterloo to participate in this year’s Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship (SSEF) program, hosted by the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Ideas Clinic and developed in partnership with Halton Region.  

The annual, nine-week program challenges students from Waterloo and abroad to explore ideas for improved urban development and present innovative solutions that address the impact of climate change and mitigate further environmental damage.