News

You have probably seen Phragmites australis in the wild—but did you know it is Ontario’s worst invasive plant species? Jersey Fontz, a PhD student in Biology (Water) is developing a seed mix to promote the growth of native species instead of invasive species after invasive species removal.

Biology Chair Kirsten Müller joins the Waterloo Climate Institute delegation to COP28 happening from November 30^th to December 12^th, 2023. A delegation of four student leaders and faculty researchers will represent the University of Waterloo at the event taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. People from all over the world will be gathered for the climate change negotiations happening at COP28 and Chair Müller will have a front-row seat.

Congratulations Chair Müller and we can’t wait to hear about your experience!

Abiola Olaitan wins Gairdner Early Career Investigator Award

The STEM With Disabilities project, created by Emma Collington (BSc '19, MSc '22, current PhD student in the Department of Biology) and Samantha Fowler (BSc '19, Science valedictorian), aims to connect people withdisabilities in STEM, and celebrate their achievements and contributions to their fields. The online campaign launched in May 2023 with an ongoing series of interviews showcasing the authentic stories of people with disabilities in STEM.

Sumaya Nur (BioMed '21) knows the impact an award can make.  She received the Collective Movement Award for Community Leadership during her final year at Waterloo and founded The Rights Project.

Originally posted by the Water Institute. Read full story here. 

Chemistry instructor Julie Goll and Biology lecturer Sarah Ruffell have both been awarded the 2023 Excellence in Science Teaching Award for their excellence in teaching.

Two science-led companies will take the stage this week and pitch at Velocity’s $5K Winter 2023 semi-finals for their chance to advance to the finals later this month.

The World Health Organization recently stated that the spillover to mammals of H5N1 influenza—commonly known as bird flu—should be monitored closely, and we need to be prepared to face infection in humans. Dr. Christine Dupont, a continuing lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo, is an expert on infectious disease in animals. 

Biology master's student Joud Abu Farah won the best poster presentation award at the Wastewater Surveillance Conference in Toronto last week. She is developing a wastewater surveillance method for influenza A, B and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).