Societal Futures

Dr. Mary Wells is the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. An accomplished materials engineer, she chaired the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering from 2013 to 2018.

Wells is a founding member of the Trust in Research Undertaken in Science and Technology scholarly network. We asked her how we can strengthen trust in science and technology to positively advance society.

Opinion by Dr. Wells

Dr. Will Percival is the distinguished research chair in Astrophysics and director of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics. His research delves into the properties of the universe on a vast scale, offering insights into the physics following the big bang and the forces driving today's cosmic evolution.

His work is at the forefront of observational cosmology, where he assumes key roles in space missions such as the Euclid satellite. We asked Percival why fundamental science is important for humanity’s future.

Since our founding in 1957, the University of Waterloo has sought to uncover solutions to the most pressing, complex challenges facing humanity and our planet. As these challenges evolve, we are evolving too.

Dr. David Drewery is the associate director of the Work-Learn Institute — a research, education and consulting unit at the University of Waterloo that advances work-integrated learning programs for employers and higher education institutions.   

His current research investigates how employers can connect with Gen Z’s work values to attract and retain talent through work-integrated learning programs. We asked Drewery how Gen Z can help create equitable and resilient economies in the future. 

Dr. Ming Li  
Professor, Faculty of Mathematics  
> Cheriton School of Computer Science 
> Canada Research Chair in Bioinformatics 
> Founder, Bioinformatics Solutions Inc.  

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 230,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year.  

Rachel Almaw was awarded the 2022 Faculty of Health Co-op Student of the Year. She worked for three co-op terms in the Mobilize Clinical Biomechanics research lab, which is based in Waterloo’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. It was through these co-op terms that she found her calling. 

Almaw focuses her research on the intersection of health and race. We asked her what needs to change in Canada’s approach to data collection and research to create a more equitable health-care system. 

Jonathan Fugelsang
Professor, Faculty of Arts

In an era of rapidly spread information, distinguishing between what’s meaningful and profound and what’s misleading nonsense has never been more vital to a productive society.