News

By Jenna Braun. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Foodborne viruses are a worldwide health concern, with types, severity and impacts of illness changing over time and across communities and countries.

Water Institute member Dr. Shannon Majowicz, associate professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, joined  the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Rome, Italy last month for a Joint FAO/WHO Expert meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) of viruses in foods.

A University of Waterloo press release

A team of University of Waterloo researchers has created smart, advanced materials that will be the building blocks for a future generation of soft medical microrobots. 

These tiny robots have the potential to conduct medical procedures, such as biopsy, and cell and tissue transport, in a minimally invasive fashion. They can move through confined and flooded environments, like the human body, and deliver delicate and light cargo, such as cells or tissues, to a target position.

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.