Waterloo researchers named Royal Society of Canada fellows and members

Four engineering researchers from the University of Waterloo were named fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and members of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Waterloo’s Feridun Hamdullahpur, Zhou Wang, Carolyn Ren and Alexander Wong are joining this prestigious national organization. The RSC recognizes remarkable contributions in the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as Canadian public life.

Hamdullahpur, Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor, is named a Specially Elected Fellow, a designation that recognizes individuals who have made exceptionally valuable contributions to promoting the objectives of the RSC in ways that contribute significantly to Canadian society. Hamdullahpur is named for advancing equity in higher education including as a United Nations HeForShe Impact Champion and for his leading work with co-operative education and entrepreneurial programming. 

“Waterloo’s reputation nationally and internationally is furthered by the work of these three researchers and our President’s commitment to research excellence, equity, and education. His visionary leadership continues to be a hallmark of the University’s success as a premier research university,” says Charmaine Dean, vice-president, University Research. “Congratulations to all. This recognition from the prestigious Royal Society of Canada is truly an honour.”

Waterloo’s fellows are:

Feridun Hamdullahpur (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering)

Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Feridun Hamdullahpur is an engineer, educator and leader with a career in research and higher education spanning more than 35 years. A professor of mechanical engineering, Hamdullahpur was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2014 for impactful research in thermo-fluids and energy engineering. He served in various academic and administrative roles including vice-president academic and provost at the University of Waterloo and is currently Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor. In acknowledgement of Hamdullahpur’s leadership in education and innovation, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013.

Zhou Wang (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Zhou Wang is one of the world’s most cited authors in visual perception-based image quality assessment, processing and compression. His innovative work created a paradigm change in the imaging field and has been used for video quality assurance throughout the global media delivery industry, directly affecting millions of viewers daily. He is a Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a recipient of NSERC Steacie Memorial Fellowship and Primetime Engineering Emmy Award. Wang was named to the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2015. (Photo credit of NSERC)

Waterloo’s members are of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists:

Carolyn Ren (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering)

Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Carolyn Ren has been named a Member of the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists as part of the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership. She is internationally recognized for her seminal contributions to microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip research. Her physical and theoretical models, as well as her design and optimization tools, have greatly enhanced the understanding of transport phenomena and have enabled new, truly integrated Lab-on-a-Chip devices for high throughput screening applications. She is currently a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Droplet Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip Technology and holds three patents. Already one of Canada’s foremost microfluidics researchers, Ren’s work promises broad and profound impacts for the global biomedical, pharmaceutical and environmental sectors.

Alexander Wong (Systems Design Engineering)

Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Alexander Wong has also been named Member of the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists as one of the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership. He is a renowned scientist and engineer whose contributions to artificial intelligence, computer vision and biomedical engineering have had profound impacts on his field. His groundbreaking innovations include computational imaging systems and tissue-scanning techniques for cancer detection, coded hemodynamic imaging technology for blood flow monitoring, and important new concepts for operational artificial intelligence in areas such as explainable and scalable deep learning. He is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Medical Imaging, is the recipient of numerous awards, and holds six patents and 26 patent applications in the area of artificial intelligence and imaging.