A message from Chris Houser, Dean of Science
Dear Science Alumni,
As I reflect on the past few months, I am proud of the accomplishments of our community, from our global alumni community making a difference in their individual fields to our students and researchers advancing knowledge here at Waterloo.
We have had many things to celebrate in the first half of this year. At convocation, we welcomed more than 1000 new graduates, growing our Science alumni community to 39,000+ strong. We cheered on more than 200 IDEAL Scholars, students who have pursued activities throughout their degrees that support Innovation, Discovery, Engagement, Application, and Leadership. We honoured eight outstanding alumni with our 2025 alumni awards, and during the ceremony, were reminded of the potential for science to transform our world. We also met many of our alumni around the world at our events and during conversations with either myself or members of Science's advancement team.
It is my hope that while reading this issue of Science Bonds, you’ll see reflections of your own Science experience and feel pride in being part of a community that continues to respond, lead and make a difference. I encourage you to stay connected, both with your fellow friends and classmates, and with our Advancement team here in Science.
Chris Houser
Dean
Faculty of Science
Mathew Li, BSc ’24 (Biochemistry)
From the stretchy, elastic pull of fresh mozzarella as you pick up a piping hot piece of pizza, to the creamy ooze and velvety, decadent nostalgia of a comforting mac and cheese, the characteristics of the much-loved food staple cheese are undeniably familiar.
However, this also makes cheese hard to replicate in sustainable ways without the need for dairy.
University of Waterloo biochemistry alum Mathew Li (BSc ’24) is the Research Operations Associate at AuX Labs, a company working towards creating the classic stretch of cheese in a vegan, sustainable way. Using yeast and partnering with craft breweries, they are developing alternate methods to create the dairy protein casein, which is responsible for the stretchy cheese texture that we know and love.
Read more about Mathew, and his path from Waterloo Science labs to his role in precision fermentation with a satisfying and delicious result in Sustainable stretch: Creating the perfect ooey-gooey cheese melt.
Want to be our alumni spotlight in an upcoming issue? We want to promote your stories!
Tell us what you've created or achieved, we'd love to hear about your talents. If you've published a book, started a charity, or won your local hot dog eating contest, this section is for you — let's make you famous!
Fill out our form, Let's make you famous!, to be considered for the next alumni feature!
Blast from the Past
The Science Museum and Galleries have been around UWaterloo campus since 1967, under various names. Since this time, it has expanded from its humble beginnings in the biology buildings into the Peter Russell Rock Garden, the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology (EIT), and now spans exhibit space in the Science Teaching Complex (STC) in addition to EIT.
From our beloved Albertosaurus and the towering gneiss that EIT was built around, to the periodic table displays and optics games, the displays in the Science Museum and Galleries remind all of us why we fell in love with science, and share the joy of scientific curiosity and discovery with the next generation of learners.
The Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics brought Waterloo’s portable planetarium to Luther Village on the Park to celebrate resident Violet Sykes' 105th birthday.
Jeremy Reesor’s journey from biology student to VP of Baseball Operations shows how critical thinking and data science help fuel a championship‑calibre team.
The University of Waterloo has broken ground on WaterFEL, the Infrared Free Electron Laser (IR-FEL) facility, scheduled to open in 2028. The new facility will be the only one of its kind in North America and will revolutionize research with its capabilities to address global challenges, from understanding and treating complex health conditions to creating pathways for a healthier environment.
For Science alum Thomas Pianta (BSc ’25), spending a month living at a research station on Lake Erie and staying up until sunrise was a dream come true. Thomas and his fellow researchers spent the nights catching bats and gathering data about each bat’s stress and personality responses.
The 2025 Faculty of Science Alumni Achievement Award ceremony returned this year to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of 8 accomplished alumni. Congratulations to all of our 2025 award recipients: Heather Candon, Dr. Robert Froese, Helen Huang, Dr. Elizabeth Meiering, Yvonne Stevens, Dr. Robert Wolkow Dr. David Wright and Dr. Gerard Wright!
Upcoming Events
*Please note, while we have made every attempt to provide accurate dates at the time of newsletter publication, some events may still be subject to change.
To stay informed about events or upcoming advancement team travel in your area, please update your information and opt in to receiving event emails to receive the must up to date event updates in your area.
Science Alumni and Community Events
SCI-toberfest at Homecoming: September 19, 2026
Class of 2025 First year reunion: September 19, 2026
Fall convocation: October 23, 2026
Watch the Science Events page for more updates throughout the year!
Waterloo-wide Alumni events
Waterloo alumni events are hosted throughout the year, and around the globe! Check out the Waterloo Alumni Events Listing for the most up-to-date opportunities to connect with fellow Waterloo alumni.
Science advancement events, including global events, are added throughout the year. Keep your address updated and opt into receiving information by email to hear about visits to your area.
What is SCI-toberfest?
Come back to campus and relive your Oktoberfest experiences with Waterloo Science Faculty and fellow alumni! Giving you the perfect blend of nostalgia, celebration and Oktoberfest spirit, we will bring you an evening of German food and brews, friendly comradery, and upbeat entertainment from the rock band The Insouciants, led by Waterloo Science's own Professor Brian McNamara!
Alumni Snaps
Celebrating Science Day with games, friends and lots of blue!
Science alumni in Toronto at the 2026 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference reception
We enjoyed getting to know some of our chemistry alumni during this year's Canadian Society of Chemistry Conference reception in Toronto!
At spring convocation 2026, we welcomed to our newest Science alumni!
Class Notes
Look at where your classmates are now!
Following Waterloo Science degrees, our alumni move across the globe sharing their talents and skills, and making a difference in their workplaces industry, academia, as well as in their personal lives.
Do you have an update to share? Whether it's a new job or retirement, a life update like you got married or had a baby, or even crossed off a dream bucket list achievement, we want to share your news! Let your classmates know what you're up to now by submitting a class note.
Aliyah Knetsch
BSc ’25 (Psychology)
Aliyah has been working as an Educational Assistant with the Waterloo Region District School Board, and is getting married next month. In September she will be moving to London, England where her husband will start his PhD in mathematics.
Olla Obied
BSc ’24 (Environmental Sciences)
After graduating as valedictorian in 2024, Olla joined BHP in Saskatchewan as a junior/graduate and started working for their Jansen Mine. Since then, she has been promoted and is now an Environment Specialist. She says it feels really special to work for the biggest mining company in the world and the biggest investment in the history of Saskatchewan.
Jessica Le
BSc ’22 (Honours Science)
Jessica recently graduated with the class of 2026 from the New England of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.
Katie Petrella
BSc ’21 (Biology)
Katie is now a mother to two young boys, runs her own business offering Personal training, Nutrition, and Esthetics services, and serves her community as a Firefighter/EMT.
Wenxue Zhang
BSc ’21 (Honours Science)
Wenxue is a doctoral candidate and graduate researcher in computational and theoretical chemistry at the University of Waterloo. Specializing in advanced quantum many-body systems and molecular dynamics, Zhang develops precise numerical frameworks to study the entropy and rotational phase transitions of water molecules under low-dimensional confinement. Utilizing tools like Python, LaTeX, and high-performance computing, Wenxue systematically decodes complex potential energy surfaces, driving innovative contributions to the field of chemical physics.
Marcus Edwards
MSc ’21 (Physics, Quantum Information)
After graduating from the Institute for Quantum Computing, Marcus is pursuing a PhD in the same field and has worked as a Quantum Software Engineer at Photonic and Xanadu Quantum Technologies. He has published 10 works which have been cited nearly 100 times. This includes a Springer Nature book, a thesis, 5 papers with publishers like Springer and Wiley, and 3 patents. He has also published a science fiction novel entitled The Mercury Relay.
Mohammad Danial Mohsin
BSc '18 (Biochemistry)
Danial is a Sr. Project Manager in oncology clinical research, leading global clinical trials. Since graduating from UWaterloo, he has earned his PMP certification and continues to contribute to the development of innovative cancer therapies. He enjoys being connected with peers, pursuing professional growth, and staying engaged with advances in clinical research and project management. Outside of work, he enjoys good food, meeting new people, and is also volunteering at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto.
Eduardo Cejudo
PhD '16 (Earth Sciences)
Eduardo has become part of a traditional Mexican music group called Verso Salado (son jarocho).
Adrienne (Chan) Quan
BSc '11 (Science and Business, Biotechnology CPA)
Adrienne has called Chicago home since 2012, where she lives with her husband and young daughter. She recently transitioned from her role as Associate Professor at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Optometry to Northwestern Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, where she is helping build a new clinic in the Bronzeville neighbourhood. Currently, she is in the final phases of her PhD, investigating the role of non-invasive brain stimulation in vision rehabilitation, and is hoping to defend in 2027.
Justin Hawkins
BSc '10 (Honours Science)
Justin has a new role working as a research associate at CancerCare Manitoba. His role is to manage sequencing and wetlab activities of the Statistical Genomics and Bioinformatics Platform. In addition, he and his wife have recently welcomed their first child to the family (Liliana Hawkins).
Aneil Gokhale
BSc '02 (Science and Business)
Aneil was recently promoted to Lead, Philanthropic Advisory Services at Toronto Foundation, where he has spent the past 14+ years helping individuals, families, and advisors think more strategically about philanthropy. He works with donors to move beyond personal connections to causes and explore how their giving can address broader community challenges and create lasting impact.
James Roy
BSc '93 (Applied Chemistry)
Before retiring from teaching last year, Jim thought that he’d have had an opportunity to reunite with friends from Uni; from Village 2 housemates through to CHEM Club classmates! Perhaps, this can still happen.
He does hope everyone is well!
Grant Shouldice
BSc '91, MSc '92, PhD '96 (Chemistry)
Grant has been working in the USA since 1997. His witness relocation agreement is finally coming to an end. You can now find him on LinkedIn.
Susan Hadden
BSc '90 (Biology)
Susan and James graduated with honour's from Biology and then Susan went to teachers college and James to Chiropractic College. Their daughter graduated from UWaterloo in biomedical science and is now in fourth year at NYU dentistry. James and Susan retire this year. "We've come full circle, thanks Waterloo!!!!!"
Mark Coleman
BSc '89 (Honours Science)
Mark recently retired from a National Practice Leader role with Deloitte in the US and is splitting his time between his home in Austin, Texas and France while also visiting grandchildren in Kelowna, BC.
Pam (Wilson) Wolff
BSc '85 (Chemistry)
Pam just retired from the Chemistry Department at Carleton University, where she was Associate Professor - teaching.
Theodore (Ted) Fransen
BSc '81 (Biology)
After a rewarding 40-year career in K-12 education, the last decade as Superintendent/CEO of Winnipeg-based Pembina Trails SD, Ted retired to a life filled with his wife Esther, grandchildren, camping and walks with his German Shepherd. He and Esther recently moved back to the province of his birth to be closer to his youngest grandkids.
Cameron Reed
BSc '77, PhD '84 (Physics)
Cameron is now retired and living in the Halifax area. He continues to teach some part-time classes at local universities, and just finished a 5-year term as an editor with American Journal of Physics. He is currently working on a textbook to accompany instructor materials for a general-education course on the Manhattan Project to be published by CRC Press.
Robert Inkol
BSc '76 (Applied Physics)
One of Robert's activities is writing and soliciting historical accounts of Canadian Defence R&D projects. Recently, Robert published an account of his first project on the Engineering Technology History Wiki.
Alan Baldock
OD ’66 (Optometry)
Alan is 83 and still happy with his decision.
Don't see your classmates? Get the conversation started by submitting your own update!
Download a printable version of this puzzle
*Please note that this PDF is intended for ease of printing only, and is a complete replication of the puzzle shown below with accessible alt text. If you still require accommodations, please see our "Accessible Puzzle Format" below.
Equipment List
A. Plate Reader
B. Centrifuge
C. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance System
D. Autoclave
E. Water Purification System
F. Thermal Cycler
G. Confocal Microscope
H. Ultrasonic Bath
I. X-ray Diffractometer
J. Glovebox
K. Liquid Chromatography Stack
L. Scanning Electron Microscope
M. Particle Sizer
N. Lab Oven
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Enter the puzzle contest
To enter the contest, send your completed puzzle answers, along with your full name, email address and mailing address to science.alumni@uwaterloo.ca. All correct answers will be entered into a random prize draw. To be eligible for the draw, your answers must be received before Friday, August 21, 2026 at 11:59 a.m. (noon) ET. If your entry is drawn, we will contact you by email and coordinate mailing your prize. In order to be eligible for the prize, you must include your current email and mailing address in your submission.
Congratulations to Jane Tzeng (BSc '07, OD '07), winner of the fall 2025 "Know your researchers" puzzle! Cobalt arrived safely, and joined Jane for a day at the optometry clinic.
