Arden Song knows how valuable established spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ students can be. As a first-year student in the Faculty of Engineering, Song joined EngiQueers, a group that provides an environment of mutual support for 2SLGBTQIA+ engineering students, to help define and defend safe spaces.
Beginning his time at Waterloo in Global Business and Digital Arts, Christopher He was having a hard time picturing his career path. That all changed at an appointment with his program advisor, where he learned about the Liberal Studies Co-op program — a versatile course of study that would let him explore multiple interests.
“In the tech industry, it’s so easy to lose track of the fact that we are humans designing things for other humans,” says Areena Akhter, who graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science this month. “Whether we’re thinking about ethics or interfacing with diverse social systems, people need to be at the core of everything we do.”
Sukhu plans to pursue a career as a police officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service following graduation.
As she prepares to cross the stage at Spring 2024 Convocation, she smiles broadly recounting how her interest in geography has taken her to so many unique places around the world in pursuit of her degree.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024. We are so pleased to welcome our graduates and their family, friends and supporters to recognize their accomplishments.
Convocation is a time of immense pride and celebration across campus. This year, 13 outstanding students have been chosen to represent the graduating Class of 2024.
Below they share parts of their academic journey filled with innovation, growth and resilience.
Natasha J. Chen
The University of Waterloo has officially opened its state-of-the-art Inert Atmosphere Fabrication Lab (IAFL) as part of the Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF).
Many materials used in quantum-nano fabrication can easily react with oxygen, so they must be assembled in a special, oxygen-free environment. This lab was carefully designed and built by the QNFCF team, with help from Angstrom Engineering and JEOL USA, to support the quantum research community at the University of Waterloo and beyond.
The University of Waterloo has broken ground on the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI), the School of Optometry and Vision Science’s new centre of excellence in vision research, optometric education and patient care.
The journey to completing a PhD is not always smooth nor linear. Beyond the intellectual rigour of coursework and research papers, pursuing a PhD requires unconventional and, at times, interdisciplinary thinking.
Through the years of pursuing a doctoral degree, candidates’ critical research helps to unlock conventional barriers by developing new and creative approaches to tackling complex problems.
Waterloo PhD graduates undertake ground-breaking research projects that can often have global impact and lead to a healthier, more sustainable future.