Waterloo recognizes outstanding supervisors of graduate students

Three Awards of Excellence in Graduate Supervision were recently announced recognizing faculty members from the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics.  

“As an institution, we are committed to creating environments in which graduate students are empowered and supported as they pursue their academic, professional and personal successes,” says Jeff Casello, associate vice-president, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. 

“The relationships between graduate students and their academic supervisors are critical to achieving this goal. Our colleagues who are receiving the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision have been and continue to be exceptional collaborators with and mentors to our students. We are thrilled to celebrate their vast contributions to the graduate community.”  

Dr. Peter Huck

Dr. Peter Huck is a professor and NSERC chair holder in Water Treatment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is an internationally recognized researcher who has made significant contributions to the field of water treatment and quality. His expertise in this area has led to multiple appointments to Ontario’s Advisory Council on Drinking Water Standards and Testing.

His outstanding scholarly output includes more than 800 articles in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings and book chapters, many of which were co-authored with graduate students. In recognition of this vital work, Dr. Huck was elected as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2019. 

In his role as educator, Dr. Huck has graduated close to 100 PhD and master’s students and has supervised more than 15 postdoctoral scholars. He has been praised by students and colleagues for his mentorship and commitment to creating lasting connections with a new generation of engineers.  

As one former graduate student put it, “[Dr. Huck] is not merely an academic mentor but a lifelong friend who builds honest and genuine relationships with each of his students.”  

The conscientious and caring approach gives graduate students the best opportunity to succeed. Many of Dr. Huck’s students now occupy prestigious roles in academia and industry, a testament to his value as a teacher and research supervisor.  

Dr. David Rudolph

Dr. David Rudolph is a distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and a scientific authority in groundwater research, monitoring and management. Over the last few decades, he has contributed to elevating the University’s standing in water resources research.

Throughout his impressive career at Waterloo, Dr. Rudolph has trained a cohort of six postdoctoral scholars, 18 PhD students and an astounding 65 master’s students, leaving an enduring footprint in hydrogeology. His students’ collective impact in academia, consulting and in government extends far beyond Canada’s borders, where, as groundwater experts, they continue to develop and influence sustainable groundwater practices, improving lives worldwide.  

Dr. Rudolph’s holistic supervisory approach emphasizes both scientific excellence and personal growth. Alumni and colleagues praise his mentorship and recognize it as more than the sum of its parts. Dr. Rudolph is a gifted researcher and an exceptional supervisor, and it is no surprise that he is a cherished favorite among students in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Rudolph embodies supervisory excellence and has contributed immensely to shaping both the academic and professional landscapes in hydrogeology and water resources in Canada and abroad. 

Dr. Raouf Boutaba

Since joining Waterloo in 1999, as a professor of computer science, Dr. Raouf Boutaba has held several academic appointments within the Faculty of Mathematics, including associate dean of Research from 2016 to 2019 and associate dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship from 2019 to 2020 .  He is now the director of the Cheriton School of Computer Science, a position that was renewed for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2024. His many awards include being named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and University Research Chair. 

Dr. Boutaba is known for his pioneering contributions to automated management, which led directly to the trend toward autonomic networking, and for his groundbreaking work on network virtualization and network softwarization that is revolutionizing the way communication networks are designed, operated and managed. The papers that Dr. Boutaba his students and collaborators have published have been cited more than 36,000 times with an h-index of 76 as of February 2024,according to Google Scholar.  

Over his career at Waterloo, Dr. Boutaba has supervised 24 doctoral and 47 master’s students and has advised 17 postdoctoral researchers. Five of his former PhD students have received prestigious awards for their dissertations, which include three Best Dissertation Awards, two Alumni Gold Medals, the Mathematics Doctoral Prize and the inaugural David R. Cheriton Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award.  

A common refrain in the letters submitted by Dr. Boutaba’s nominators note that he is a supportive and dedicated supervisor, who puts the interests of his graduate students ahead of his own, a mentor who instills upon his students the importance of diligence, technical excellence and rigour in research, and who helps them build the confidence to explore interesting ideas both independently and collaboratively.