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It is with the deepest sadness that the University of Waterloo shares the news of the passing of Oren Zernov, a second-year chemical engineering student, on April 24th, 2022.

He was a diligent student who worked hard with great anticipation for becoming an engineer. Oren’s family has been heartened by the many positive letters and messages that they have received from his friends and fellow students.

If you were a Waterloo student in 1968, you might remember an event that drove the media and police to campus in throngs. That day remains clear in Glenn Sutton’s (BSc ’72) mind 50 years after his graduation.

It was a protest against the Vietnam War. More specifically, against the use of napalm. To show the violence and devastation napalm leaves in its wake, student protestors planned something drastic. They sourced their own napalm, and promised to burn a dog.

Statistics are so common in our everyday lives that the subject can easily be taken for granted.

But whether it is about pressing global issues related to the pandemic or more local concerns related to the housing market, statistics inform almost any decisions for policymakers and citizens alike.

Because statistics are so commonplace, it is easy to forget that a lot of work goes into creating the statistical tools that help us understand the world and make the best decisions. Having the most refined statistical tools means better outcomes.

Researching in mathematics means engaging in unconventional thinking. For Patrick Naylor, a newly-minted PhD graduate from the Department of Pure Mathematics, the unconventional is the everyday.

Naylor works in the field of low-dimensional topology, which in a nutshell means he explores the characteristics of dimensions beyond those we experience as reality.

With everything going on, a lot of us are searching for community right now. Something that once seemed easy, routine and permanent now feels vital, fresh, and maybe even illusive for the first time in our lives. For those who don’t always fit into our dominant culture, such as racialized folks, the genderqueer, even artists, the search for community is old hat. And while that search is rarely easy, it can be a catalyst for creating something truly special.

The past couple of years have placed unique strains on everyone in our world. The pandemic and its associated impacts to the way we all live, learn and work have changed so much about how we interact with the people around us, and with people we’ve only met virtually on video, by email or on social media. 

Michael Steele (BASc ’81) knows first-hand how the influence of an individual or event can change the course of a career — or even a life. His parents set an example that shaped Michael’s values. Those values, along with relationships with key business figures, helped determine his career path and led to business success.

The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo is renewing its efforts to work with homeowners, communities, governments, and businesses to identify and reduce risks associated with climate change and extreme weather events, such as flooding, wildfire and extreme heat.

If there's one thing that Alexandra Horwood doesn't like, it's the f-word: fees.

In recent years, financial fees have acquired a negative reputation. Financial influencers, robo-advisors and do-it-yourself trading platforms encourage us to believe that higher fees will always eat into our returns, leaving us with significantly less wealth in the end. But is that really true? If you want to stay with your financial advisor, will the fees keep you from achieving your wealth and retirement goals?

The University of Waterloo is pleased to announce that it is joining the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network, effective immediately. Waterloo thus joins this established global community of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and to promote academic freedom.