A message from James W.E. Rush, Vice-President, Academic and Provost and Chair, Dean of Mathematics Nominating Committee.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Jochen Koenemann as Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics for a five-year term commencing July 1, 2025. The appointment was strongly supported by the nominating committee established under Policy 45 and has been approved by the President, Senate, and Board of Governors. Professor Koenemann will succeed Professor Mark Giesbrecht who has served as Dean since July 1, 2020.
Professor Jochen Koenemann completed his M.Sc. in Computer Science at the University of Saarbrücken in Germany, and earned his Ph.D. in Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization from Carnegie Mellon University. Professor Koenemann joined the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization at the University of Waterloo in 2003 and was promoted to full Professor in 2013.
In addition to an extensive record of publications, grants, and awards, Professor Koenemann’s research—centred on theoretical Computer Science and Operations Research—has demonstrated significant impact in addressing real-world computational challenges in optimization. His work has contributed to solving complex practical problems across various application domains. For example, in collaboration with Ricardo Fukasawa, he developed algorithms and planning tools to support life-saving cranial surgeries on children at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. Over the past five years, Professor Koenemann has also worked closely with Amazon, where he has applied cutting-edge techniques from algorithms and optimization to enhance both the efficiency and sustainability of the company’s delivery network. Professor Koenemann’s expertise aligns closely with several areas of existing strength within the Faculty of Mathematics, and positions him well to contribute to emerging opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement and innovation.
The appointment of Professor Jochen Koenemann as Dean received strong support from faculty and staff constituencies within the Faculty of Mathematics, and this confirmed the nominating committee’s view that Professor Koenemann should be appointed as Dean. I wish to add my own strong support for Professor Jochen Koenemann’s appointment as Dean of Mathematics. He has served as the University of Waterloo’s Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs in the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization for four years and as Chair of the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization for six years, giving him in-depth knowledge of the operations of our institution and the insights needed to effectively lead a diverse, world-class Faculty. Professor Koenemann’s close collaboration with external partners will help to bolster the Faculty’s connections across industries, showcasing the transformative role that Mathematics plays in society.
I would like to thank the members of the Dean of Mathematics Nominating Committee for their time and dedication to this process. Committee members include Hans De Sterck, Martha Foulds, Aiden Huffman, Keeley Isinghood, David Jao, Lila Kari, Martin Karsten, Yu-Ru Liu, Christine McWebb, Meaghan Middleton, Jen Nelson, and Mu Zhu.