Breaking boundaries in water research

The Office of Research expects to initiate the search for a new Executive Director of the Water Institute in the coming months. This search for a successor to former Executive Director Roy Brouwer is expected to take up to six months to complete. As a result, Brouwer has been asked to remain in the role on a temporary basis during this period.

The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Andrea Brookfield has been appointed director of the University of Waterloo’s Collaborative Water Program for a two-year term, effective January 1, 2026. An associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and a Water Institute member, Dr. Brookfield brings deep expertise in hydrology and water resource management. Her work focuses on developing and applying hydrological models that help us better understand how water and contaminants move through surface and groundwater systems and how decisions about energy, agriculture, and urban development shape the health of our watersheds. Her research aims to balance competing demands to support economic, social, and environmental stability.

Researchers from Ireland, Canada, and the United States gathered in Waterloo on November 27–28 for a two-day workshop focused on nature-based climate solutions: peatlands and wetlands. Hosted by the SOLUTIONSCAPES project, led by Nandita Basu, Professor at the University of Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Global Water Sustainability and EcoHydrology, the event invited scientists, engineers, and emerging researchers to exchange ideas on hydrology, greenhouse gas dynamics, wetland and peatland restoration practices, and geospatial techniques that can guide climate-smart land management across continents.