News

Professor David Simakov is developing innovative technologies to solve complex environmental challenges

By Nicola Kelly, Faculty of Engineering

David Simakov, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is actively engaged in two bold interdisciplinary collaborations with Canadian and international partners to advance UN Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives are focused on two areas: affordable clean energy and clean water. Simakov’s research focuses on the conversion of CO2 into renewable synthetic fuels and sustainable hydrogen generation.  

A new documentary on unsustainable fishing practices and ocean life protection

By Faculty of Environment

In many institutions, postdoctoral fellows feel they have fallen through a gap somewhere between faculty and graduate student groups, leaving them with little sense of belonging. This situation is quite disheartening to them to feel like they don't quite belong anywhere. 

To fill that gap, the Water Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the Water Institute Postdoc (WIP) network to help water-related postdocs across campus feel more supported and connected during their time at the University of Waterloo.

The Water Institute recently had the pleasure of hosting Elvia Rufo Jiménez an early-stage researcher from PRORISK – part of the European Training Network.

From data to knowledge

One of the greatest threats to the health of the Great Lakes is the increasing frequency and severity of algal blooms occurring in response to excess nutrients in the water under a warming climate.

This article was originally published by the Department of Chemical Engineering.

The American Chemical Society announced the launch of a new journal titled “ACS Sustainable Resource Management” on June 13, 2023, with Water Institute member Michael Tam as Deputy Editor. Tam is excited to shape the direction of this new publication and bring it to the forefront in this emerging field. He will develop strategies to promote awareness of the journal to the academic community.

Waterloo delegates at the 2023 Canadian Water Resources Association conference.

The Water Institute was well represented at the recent Canadian Water Resources Association conference, which took place from June 18-21, 2023 in Halifax, NS. The delegation included faculty members Bryan Tolson and James Craig, a number of their students, as well as Nancy Goucher, the Water Institute’s Knowledge Mobilization Specialist.

The Water Institute recently hosted a delegation from the University of Riau, Indonesia for a joint workshop on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and peatland management.

The purpose of the workshop was to share information on respective peatland research programs, discuss best practices for the design and establishment of university research institutes and to explore potential collaborative opportunities.

Novel technology could be useful in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, cosmetic and personal care industries

By Media Relations

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a simple, low-cost method for accurately encapsulating core materials (which could be pure liquid or liquid containing suspended functional ingredients) that could make important contributions to a wide range of industry applications.

The process, known as a liquid-liquid encapsulation system, introduces a drop of core material through a nozzle, which impacts on a host bath, containing a floating shell layer on the surface. When a complex interaction of the core material with the shell layer occurs, it creates a stable encapsulation which protects the core material and safeguards it from an aggressive environment enabling a timely release of the cargo material to a targeted area.

Water Institute member Dr. Peter Huck, a Civil and Environment Engineering Professor who has been dubbed “The Wayne Gretzky of the Water Industry,” is celebrating a remarkable 30 years as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Chair in Water Treatment.