Societal Futures

According to Health Canada, about 48,000 people in Canada die from tobacco use each year. Research has shown that tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable diseases and deaths worldwide and efforts to reduce tobacco consumption through regulation and policy measures have significantly contributed to public health improvements.

Strategies supported by science, like the work carried out by Dr. David Hammond and Dr. Geoffrey Fong here at the University of Waterloo, aim to save lives by reducing tobacco-related diseases and promoting public health.

The University of Waterloo marked the one-year anniversary of the Hagey Hall attack, a moment of hate-motivated violence that deeply impacted our community.   

More than 150 campus members gathered inside the Hagey Hall Hub on June 28, in solidarity and support of everyone who had to confront violence and experience trauma that day.  While standing together, the community was standing up against gender-based violence and all forms of hatred and bigotry. 

Underrepresented populations have been historically excluded from clinical trials including women, racial and ethnic minority groups, and pregnant, lactating, pediatric and geriatric populations. While the importance of including these groups in clinical trials are slowly being recognized and remedied, there are still questions in how currently prescribed drugs affect these populations, including the safety and efficacy of the medications. 

A group of Indigenous students from the University of Waterloo were among a delegation who visited Cape Town, South Africa this spring to gain international perspectives on environmental issues.

On June 21, we pay special attention to National Indigenous People’s Day, a day for all Canadians to honour and celebrate the legacy, diverse cultures and exceptional contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. 

Kaylee Biggart, a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is making significant strides in experimental condensed matter physics while reclaiming her cultural heritage.

With the rising cost of housing, aging infrastructure, climate change and disruptive technology at the forefront of urban planning, cities require data-driven tools and expertise to prosper today, and into the future.

Maddy Craig, Amitees Ghiasian, Daria Gerus, and Vivian Huang embraced new perspectives in their Communications for the Sciences course group project entitled, “Western Science vs. Traditional Ecological Knowledge.” The project deepened their understanding of science by exploring Indigenous Peoples' history and knowledge-sharing culture and comparing it to Western science. 

Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies saw family, friends, staff and faculty come together to recognize students for their hard work and perseverance during some of the world’s most challenging circumstances. 

For five consecutive days, across 14 ceremonies, Waterloo’s campus was full of beaming pride and jubilation. The 128th convocation was made even more special with the University officially ushering its 250,000th graduate across the stage. This major milestone was achieved during the Faculty of Arts ceremony on Thursday, June 13.  

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.

When Raven Sim receives her degree this June, it will mean the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. "I’ve known I wanted to be at Waterloo for computer engineering since Grade 4" Sim says. Her interest in the subject was ignited during an engineering summer camp and was later cemented when she learned about Waterloo’s co-op program.