Breaking boundaries in water research

Dr. Neil Thomson, internationally recognized groundwater remediation expert and long-time Water Institute member, was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus by the University of Waterloo in 2024 in recognition of his outstanding scholarly achievements and leadership. Now officially retired after more than 35 years with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Thomson continues to lead impactful research and mentor the next generation of environmental engineers.

A recent visit to Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has opened new doors for collaboration between researchers at the Water Institute and colleagues at one of Europe’s top technical universities.

A Waterloo-led research team creates “programmable” droplets with potential usage in wastewater treatment and carbon capture