News

From statistics to science policy, public health and climate change, new PhD graduates are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges 

By University Relations

Obtaining a PhD can sometimes be considered a daunting task because the voyage often seems endless. The path is not straight. The process is never quick. In fact, one can expect to encounter many challenges and setbacks. Challenges that push the boundaries of your imagination and intellect. 

The goal is to find opportunities in those challenging moments because the result is massively rewarding. Upon completion of the dissertation defence — the culmination of years of hard work and research — candidates are congratulated for bringing new knowledge to our world.

One of those candidates is Dr. Dilruba Fatima Sharmin who worked closley with the Water Institute during her PhD journey.

The Water Institute is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for 2023-24 John Parish Memorial Graduate Scholarship.The John Parish Memorial Scholarship was established by friends and family in memory of John Parish. John Parish (BES’85) was a pioneer in the field of fluvial geomorphology – studying rivers and river processes, and how they influence the lands around them. He proudly founded PARISH Geomorphic Ltd. in 1997, and merged his company with Matrix Solutions Inc. in 2015. John was instrumental in the development of policies and implementation guidelines for managing watersheds in Southern Ontario, and was a champion for natural river restoration across Canada.

The Water Institute is excited to host its inaugural event showcasing the research of early career faculty. Covering topics such as climate smart agriculture, remote sensing of freshwater lakes, GHG dynamics in waterbodies and interconnections in water-energy-food systems, eight faculty members from across four faculties and six departments/schools will share a glimpse into their research on October 31st.

Be part of the change for a secure water future

WaterLeadership is a professional skills development program offered by the Water Institute to support the advancement of emerging global water leaders. Through the program, participants will develop the skills and networks needed to move their research into action to support informed decision-making.

Coastal Carbon receives $1.6 million in funding to accelerate the development of AI-driven seaweed biomass monitoring system  

By Naomi Grosman, Velocity

Monitoring seaweed growth has the potential to accelerate regenerative seaweed farming and ocean restoration, and scale blue carbon initiatives, all presenting important opportunities in the fight against climate change.  

How can your research impact water policy and protection?

To begin to answer this question the Society of Water Institute Graduate Students (SWIGS) held a policy workshop and discussion on September 13, on how different aspects of research can impact water policy and protection.

Dr. Nandita Basu, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth and Environmental Sciences, a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Water Sustainability and Ecohydrology, Director, Collaborative Water Program and Water Institute member, received two major awards from the American Geophysical Union (AGU): the 2023 Joanne Simpson Medal, a Union level award for significant contributions to the earth and space sciences, and the Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture, a Hydrology Section award that recognizes contributions to the hydrologic sciences. In addition, as a Simpson awardee, Nandita is also named an AGU Fellow, an honour bestowed to less than 0.1% of its members.

By Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs

As the University of Waterloo launches its annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), we celebrate three Waterloo postdoctoral scholars have been awarded the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

A University of Waterloo press release.

Ontario may seem to be a water secure region, but new research out of the University of Waterloo challenges the myth of water abundance in the Great Lakes watershed. 

Using a first-of-its-kind risk analysis, researchers connected water quality, quantity, regulations and public concern to obtain a more comprehensive picture of water security at the local level. The novel approach revealed that at least half of the studied watersheds had a moderate to high potential for risk.  

Friday, November 3, 3 - 5:00 PM, University of Waterloo

Please join the Water Institute on November 3 to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the innovative Collaborative Water Program (CWP)! It's time to celebrate with ten remarkable cohorts of CWP graduates from the most interdisciplinary water graduate program in Canada!