News

Investigating water security 

Water Institute member Monica Emelko, a professor in Waterloo's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the first Canada Research Chair in Water Science, Technology and Policy.

She will receive $1.4 million over seven years for research into ensuring water security in Canada.  

Waterloo wetlands research appears today in Nature

Targeted wetland restoration in heavily farmed areas would dramatically reduce the amount of nitrogen polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) examined detailed data on wetland locations and nitrogen loads from fertilizer on farm fields throughout the United States.

From September to November, 2020, the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute, in collaboration with the United Nations’ Environment Programme 'Global Peatland Initiative' (UNEP GPI), hosted three virtual workshops to catalyze dialogue and exchange among over 150 Canadian peatland researchers, government officials, private sector representatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The workshops were an important step toward establishing an active Canadian peatlands research network.

The Climate Risk Matrix, developed by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, is a tool that institutional investors can use to identify material physical risks that investee companies face from climate-related extreme weather events.

The Waterloo iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team has been recognized with a number of awards this year at the annual competition. In addition to receiving Gold standing, their project also received the award for best Manufacturing Project at the undergraduate level, it was also nominated for the iGEM Inclusivity Award and the Best Wiki Award!

"Do you love wetlands? You might be surprised how much you appreciate wetlands without even realizing it. GreenUp asked us to write this article because we specialize in wetland research at the University of Waterloo," said Water Institute member and professor in the Department of Biology, Rebecca Rooney. "The concept of getting gifts and giving back is top of mind this time of year. Let’s consider a few of the gifts that wetlands give us."

On December 2, 34 Collaborative Water Program (CWP) students came together over Zoom to present their Water 602 community projects which made a real-world contribution to a water management issue.

On Monday, November 23, Water Institute member Merrin Macrae, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Geography and Environmental Management, was the keynote speaker in a webinar co-hosted by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and Global Water Futures Agricultural Water Futures project where Macrae is the Principal Investigator.

Pearl Sullivan, Waterloo's former dean of engineering and the first woman to hold the position, died on November 28 after a 12-year battle with cancer.

Just the fourth woman across Canada to head a school of engineering, she was a dynamic force for Waterloo Engineering and the entire University.

Passionate about supporting students, she was dedicated to ensuring they had a full understanding of engineering principles as well as the tools and facilities they needed to succeed.