News

Antarctic ice shelves can disappear astonishingly fast — sometimes in minutes or hours — as meltwater surges through cracks in their surface. And as the atmosphere warms, this phenomenon may become more commonplace; at least half of the ice shelves on the continent are vulnerable to this process, a new study suggests.

Lake Futures, a University of Waterloo-led project under the Global Water Futures program, has announced the launch of a new webinar series. This series will be an opportunity for the non-academic community to engage with Lake Futures researchers, as they share their latest findings and discuss implications for water policies, programs, and plans in Ontario.

Water Institute member Monica Emelko, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, comments on her research on Fort McMurray's water supply in an article written by Bob Weber for CBC News. 

In May 2016, the Fort McMurray wildfire swept through nearly 6,000 square kilometres of boreal forest in northern Alberta. Fort McMurray lost 2,400 buildings, and 88,000 people were forced from their homes.

After three years as the University of Guelph’s Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Mary Wells has returned to the University of Waterloo to serve as the new Dean of Engineering.

Starting July 1^st, she began her five-year appointment and will be Waterloo Engineering's ninth dean, the second woman to hold the post succeeding Pearl Sullivan, and interim dean Rick Culham.

Daniel Grégoire, a Waterloo chemical engineering researcher, has been awarded a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue his research on the effects of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems.

The fellowship will provide Grégoire $70,000 annually for two years.

“Ultimately, I want to use my expertise to develop sustainable water treatment strategies that limit the environmental impacts of industrial activity,” he says on his LinkedIn page.

A University of Waterloo press release.

The emotional connection to nature that kids feel is declining with each generation thanks in large part to their increasing use of digital media. Instead of trying to fight this trend, known as Videophilia, researchers say it’s time to use it to help kids find their way back to nature.

In mid-March when COVID-19 caused many to work remotely, the forWater Network was well underway planning their Annual General Meeting to be held in Victoria, British Columbia. While the in-person portion of this annual event was ultimately cancelled, in its place arose a creative virtual alternative that highlighted this year’s research findings.

University of Waterloo Press Release
featuring Water Institute member Jason Thistlethwaite.

As hurricane season is now upon North America, we have many questions about the particular challenges of managing disasters during COVID-19.  How do governments evacuate people safely? How will already scarce PPE supplies be tested?

We spoke to Professor Jason Thistlethwaite, an expert in strategies to reduce the economic impacts of extreme weather and climate change, to hear his thoughts about managing disasters alongside the pandemic.

The University of Waterloo has signed the Responsible Investment Charter for Canadian Universities, pledging more responsible investment decisions with its $400-million endowment fund to help address the threat of climate change.

A new article entitled “How investing in green infrastructure can jump-start the post-coronavirus economy” has been published in The Conversation Canada, an online independent source of news from the academic and research community.