Awards, Honours and Rankings
Waterloo physics professor, Donna Strickland, has become one of only three women to ever win the Nobel Prize in physics. The last female to earn with this prestigious award was in 1963. Strickland is a pioneer in the development of lasers that has revolutionized areas of research in industrial and medical applications. Through her transformational research, she has also become a pioneer for women in science.
In response to this historical win, Strickland said,
"This is a tremendous day for Professor Strickland and needless to say a tremendous day for the University of Waterloo. This is Waterloo’s first Nobel laureate and the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 55 years."
Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo
Donna Strickland, a University of Waterloo professor who helped revolutionize laser physics, has been named a winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.
Strickland, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, shares half the $1.4 million prize with French laser physicist Gérard Mourou. The other half was awarded to U.S. physicist Arthur Ashkin.
The University of Waterloo has awarded six first-year students with HeForShe IMPACT scholarships in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The scholarships are part of the University of Waterloo’s commitment to encourage more young minds to pursue careers in STEM, an area where those who identify as women or non-binary groups are currently underrepresented.
Students who competed in last weekend’s Hack the North received a piece of sage advice from University of Waterloo alumnus Chamath Palihapitiya: go fix the hard stuff.
The winners, called Schulich Leaders, receive between $80,000 and $100,000 towards their university education. UWaterloo’s high number of interested and qualifying students for these prestigious awards mean the University is one of only five across Canada to award four scholarships instead of the usual two.
The nomination period for the President's Community Impact Awards are now open. Launched in 2017, the President’s Community Impact Awards celebrate great community leaders and the impact they create through volunteerism, philanthropy, or engagement.
The awards recognize individuals or teams of community members, students, staff or faculty who embody the University’s spirit of innovation and contribute to making Waterloo Region strong and prosperous.
Ten researchers from the University of Waterloo received more than $15.6 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to fund two networks and eight projects that will further research efforts through academic and industry collaborations.
To solve complex global challenges, society will need to focus on developing creative citizens rather than concentrating solely on new technologies, says Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.
Hamdullahpur was speaking at the Dr. Richard Maponya Annual Lecture on Entrepreneurship at the Durban University of Technology in South Africa this week.
Health technology is a growing industry and research priority in Canada. From pacemakers to implants to prosthetic limbs, we’re surrounded by medical innovations that improve our lives.
To be truly effective, these innovations must be designed by a special type of engineer – one who can identify medical technology needs, solve challenging engineering problems, and manage partnerships at the interface of engineering and health.
