Talent

The 1989 targeted massacre of 14 women at École Polytechnique in Montreal was the deciding factor for Kim Jones (BASc '95, chemical engineering) choosing to study engineering rather than science for her undergraduate degree.

She wanted to prove women deserve a place in engineering because, in her words, “they are every bit as smart and capable as any man.”

Seeing is believing when it comes to diversity in academia, according to the inaugural director of the new Indigenous and Black Engineering Technology (IBET) PhD Project. 

WATERLOO, Ont. (February 3, 2021) – Indigenous post-secondary students from across Canada will soon be able to participate in a new entrepreneurship training program.

Hosted by St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo and lead by industrious entrepreneur Jacob Crane, the program will be administered online by the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre and GreenHouse social impact incubator at the College.

Sarah Cheng (BAFM ’08, MAcc ’09) stepped into the Dragons’ Den with her five-year-old daughter while eight months pregnant. The Waterloo alumnus pitched her small business, Bluish, and ended up striking a deal from Canadian investor Arlene Dickinson.  

An automated speech coach to help you nail your next interview. Image recognition that can always find Waldo. And a voice-controlled scanner that allows you to 3D print a medical cast. 

Those are just a few of the projects created by over 3,000 student hackers who attended Hack the North 2020++ from January 15 to 17, 2021. 

On March 17, 2020, Queen’s Park declared a state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to protect the health and safety of individuals and families in Ontario. Among the measures was the cancellation of elective procedures — surgeries scheduled sometimes months in advance — to create capacity for hospitals in case they experienced a massive surge in COVID-19 patients.

The following opinion piece by Mary Wells, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and Suzanne Kresta, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan ran on December 6, 2020 in CBC's Opinion section. It's reposted with permission.