Plastics pollution is a global environmental hazard with potentially harmful impacts on wildlife, ecosystem services, and human health and wellbeing. Microplastics in particular are of great concern because of their ability to be transported over great distances and absorb and disperse contaminants widely.
On Monday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced funding for almost $3M to study the effects of contaminants on aquatic ecosystems across Canada.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Professor Mark Servos and his team have been applying their knowledge of measuring water contamination to help public health officials understand the movement of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – within municipal wastewater.
Congratulations to Omar Hajjaj, a Biology student at the University of Waterloo, who has been awarded the Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO) Coop Student of the Year award! Omar has also won the Waterloo's Faculty of Science Coop Student of the Year Award, as well as named one of four University of Waterloo Co-op Problem Award winners for 2020!
Therese Hayes (BSc ’89)
Chief Sustainability and Business Development Officer
The House of LR&C, PBC
From the smallest of nanomaterials to the edges of our known galaxy, and every water droplet in between, researchers in the Faculty of Science are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.
Two faculty members and leading experts in wetlands ecology will study ways to control invasive species and restore the health of Southampton’s beloved Fairy Lake under a new research project launched by the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) and the Town of Saugeen Shores.
Since 2018, the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) hosts a "GRADflix" competition, challenging students from across campus to communicate their research to a general audience. With only 60 seconds at their disposal, competitors create videos, moving slideshows or animation, in order to tell us why their research is important!
Cyanobacteria blooms are a major environmental issue worldwide. They can have direct impacts on the safety of drinking water supplies by producing a variety of toxins which also impose health risks for swimmers and boaters. Although many may associate cyanobacteria with bright green algae seen on the surface of lakes, Ellen Cameron, PhD Candidate in Waterloo’s Biology Department, is using DNA sequencing to study cyanobacteria communities in low-nutrient, clear lakes in Northern Ontario.
We are pleased to share some upcoming organizational changes with some leadership positions held by Science faculty members.