News

Together with the School of Optometry and Vision Science and the School of Pharmacy, 350 donors raised over $175,000 that will support our science initiatives. Whether supporting the SCI of Relief Fund, the Waterloo Eye Institute, or the Pharmacy Student Support Fund, know that your donations go a long way in assisting our students in receiving innovative education and achieving academic excellence.

Yesterday, the CGSS and Chem Club teamed up once again to run another successful fundraiser bake sale for the Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.

The Faculty of Science's very own Dr. Rebecca Rooney and Dr. Nandita Basu were featured on the latest episode of The Water Brothers to discuss the importance of preserving wetlands and their economic and environmental benefits. 

Vision impairments are on the rise, propelling the global ocular implants market to unprecedented growth, from $14.1 billion in 2022 to a monumental $22.1 billion by 2030. Yet, many potential breakthroughs stumble in clinical trials, often due to unforeseen toxicity and efficacy in preliminary research studies. Megala Ramasamy is developing a low-cost fabrication method for silicone polymers used to create advanced in-vitro eye models that simulate features of the human eye.

Congratulations to Juewen Liu (Chemistry), Linda Nazar (Chemistry), and Will Percival (Physics & Astronomy and the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics) for representing Science and the university of this list. Liu and Percival are both marking their second appearance on the list, while Nazar has been on the list nine out of the last 10 years. Their work clearly resonates with the research community and their findings have inspired others to push boundaries and explore what’s next in their own research.

Professor Mark Matsen is set to receive the Polymer Physics Group Founders’ Prize. Only 11 scholars have been awarded this prize since its inception in 2001. Matsen, who holds a joint position as a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is being honoured for his remarkable work on molecular self-assembly in polymeric systems involving block copolymers.

On November 9, 2023, the Waterloo Wetland Lab held its second annual wetland cleanup near Fischer-Hallman Road and Columbia Street in Waterloo. Armed with gloves and garbage bags, a dedicated group of volunteers sifted through the wetlands, collecting 20 bags full of trash.

Nyhenflore Delva’s interest in sustainable chemistry began during her undergraduate studies as she explored ways to mitigate negative environmental impacts. She learned that adopting more sustainable industrial chemical processing could provide many benefits.

Vasily Panferov, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Chemistry, is one of four recent recipients of the AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Have you ever noticed green scum on the surface of a lake? Cyanobacteria are a type of algae that can cause harmful blooms. Harshina Brijlall, a PhD in Biology student, is working to identify potential algal toxin-producing markers and understudied bacterial communities to aid in lake management.