World Water Day 2026 – Student Research Showcase
Friday, March 20, 2026 | 12:00–2:00 pm
Get involved – Present your Research Poster
Whether you are just starting out or have results ready to share, this is a great opportunity to showcase your work, get feedback, and connect with the water research community.
- Open to University of Waterloo graduate and undergraduate students
- Posters at any stage of water-related research are welcome
- Posters previously presented at other conferences are welcome
- Submit poster applications by: Monday, February 27, 2026
Poster session details
- Poster board size: up to 4 ft (W) × 3 ft (H)
- Setup: 9:30–10:30 am in the SLC multi-purpose room (first floor)
- Presenters are requested to be at their poster: 12:15–2:00 pm
- Judging will occur during the poster session
- Awards will be announced at 3:15 pm in the SLC Black and Gold room
- Posters may be removed after 3:30 pm
Judging criteria
- Clarity and scientific quality: Clear research question, sound methods, accurate results, and well-supported conclusions
- Organization, design, and legibility: Logical flow of content, readable text, effective headings, and overall visual balance
- Use of graphics and tables: Appropriate, well labelled figures and tables that clearly support and enhance the research message
- Significance of the research: Relevance, originality, and contribution to water-related knowledge, policy, or practice
- Student knowledge and engagement: Ability to clearly explain the research, answer questions, and engage thoughtfully with judges
From Research to Poster: Effective Scientific Poster Preparation - Workshop
February 24, 2026 | 9:30–11:00 am
Hosted by SWIGS, this workshop will help you create clear, concise, and visually effective scientific posters that highlight the impact of your research. Learn practical tips on poster layout, data visualization, and scientific storytelling to confidently present your work. While especially useful for students presenting at World Water Day, the workshop is open to all interested students.
Support & questions
- Cory Barstow: cbarstow@uwaterloo.ca
- Jordan Li: jordan.li@uwaterloo.ca
(Co-Vice Chairs, Conference of SWIGS)
Registration is required and space is limited.
List of Posters presented:
| Name | Poster Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Azi Zebarjadian | Adaptive Optimization of Dam Operations under Deep Uncertainty: Accounting for Structural Constraints | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Beatriz Leonardo da Silva | The key role of geographically isolated wetlands in watersheds management: a study case in São Paulo, Brazil | Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Bohao Tang | A novel method to quantify stream temperature prediction uncertainty via postprocessor residual error modeling | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| CHINONSO CHRIS-EMENYONU | Quantifying Peat Respiration and Vegetation Distribution along Hydrologic Gradients in a Restored Fen | Faculty of Environment, Department of Geography |
| Cooper O'Rourke | Rates of bluff retreat and shoreline change along the north shore of Lake Erie | Earth and Environmental Sciences |
| Cory Barstow | Periphyton uptake and transformation of event-based phosphorus: Insights from microcosm experiments | Faculty of Science, Department of Biology |
| Elisha Ochieng Okoth | Climate Variability and Urban Water Reliability in Kisumu, Kenya: A Preliminary Analysis | Faculty of Environment, SERS |
| Eliza Hydesmith | First Nation-municipal relationship building through Additions to reserve processes | Faculty of Environment, School of Planning |
| Elizabeth Naranjo | Vertical Distribution of PFAS in Shallow Urban Groundwater: Bauru Aquifer System, Brazil | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Emily Rorison | Governing Interconnections: A Case Study of Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance in the Long Point Biosphere Region | Faculty of Environment, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability |
| Emily Voigt | How climate resilient is Malé’s Water System? Insights from a Hydro-Socio-Metabolic Risk Analysis | Faculty of Environment, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) |
| Emma Bacchiochi | Has Natural Gas Development Altered Sediment Metal Concentrations in Fisherman Lake, NWT? | Faculty of Science, Department of Biology |
| Emma Jewett | Tiny Leaves, Big Impacts: Duckweed's role in CH4 and CO2 gas dynamics in freshwater ponds | Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Science |
| Fernanda Souto Barreto | A Century Of Urban Nitrogen Pollution: Legacy of Subsurface Storage and Riverbank Attenuation | Faculty of Science |
| Fernando Schuh Rörig | Coping with unreliable water supply: Evidence on demand, price responsiveness, and private-well adoption in Brazil | Deparment of Economics |
| Fridah Silas | Governance complexities of Nature-based Solutions in Canadian Agricultural Landscapes | Faculty of Environment, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability |
| Huong Nguyen | Understanding the Effects of Rising Temperature on Leaching of Dissolved Organic Carbon from Peat Soil in the Great Bear Lake | Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences |
| Huraira Nadeem | Did a Wastewater Lagoon Upgrade Reduce Nutrient Export to Devil’s Creek? Evidence from Before/After Monitoring | Faculty of Science, Department of Biology |
| Jesse St. John-Parker | Assessing the Role of Urban Trees in Stormwater Management at the Subwatershed Scale | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Jingya Pang | Acid-assisted microwave modification of bauxite residue for organic adsorption in water | Faculty of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Jordan Li | Wetlands in Flux: Hydrologic Controls on Carbon Dynamics in Restored Agricultural Wetlands | Earth and Environmental Science |
| Joseph Ross Wortman | Aqueous PTFE-Glass triboelectric generator performance in metal organic framework solution | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering (CWP cohort 11) |
| Josh Mumford | Evaluating Streamflow Impacts of Agricultural Drainage in Southern Ontario with a Regional Hydrologic Model | Faculty of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Joshua Rose | Hydrologic Features are Closely Associated with Herpetofauna Road Mortality in the Long Point Biosphere Region | Faculty of Environment, Department of Geography and Environmental Management |
| Keira Hum | Comparative Study of the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Plastic Polymers: Implications for the Environmental Biodegradation of Microplastics | Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences |
| Kuan Yun Leng | "Blue Roofs vs. Green Roofs: Comparing Stormwater Management Strategies in Urban Architecture" | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture |
| Kushani Lakshika Abesekara | Factors Influencing Biofilter Acclimation for Microcystin-LR Removal | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| Leonard Korreshi | Winter Stratification in Lake Superior | Faculty of Math, Department of Applied Mathematics |
| Luana Camelo | Why Is the World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Shrinking? | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Malak Kamal | The Cosmology of Resilience: Flash Flooding, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Right to Remain | Faculty of Engineering |
| Michael Chislett | Achieving predictability in the pool-riffle formation gradient: Applications in river restoration | Faculty of Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| Olena Krutenko | Applying Water Management Principles to Improve Wastewater Sludge Treatment Efficiency | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environment Engineering |
| Oluwatimilehin Aremu | REUNITING WITH THE SUN Choreographing Light and Shadow in Contemporary Nigerian Architecture through Vernacular Wisdom | Department of Architecture |
| Rosa Maria Castillo Hernandez | Waste to Water Solution: Repurposing Seaweed for Environmental Remediation | Chemical Engineering Department |
| Rose Simard | Peat physical and chemical properties in relation to vegetation type in restored fens | Faculty of Environment, Department of Geography and Environmental Management |
| Sam Smith | Microplastics as Vectors of Co-Contaminant Transport | Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Science |
| Samuel Wategire | Aging Together, Living Better Through Intergenerational Connection: Fostering Visibility and Belonging in Later Life | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture |
| Savanna Cherry | Completing the NECB of a Low Elevation Alpine Peatland | Geography and Environmental Management |
| Shahriyer Hossain Shetu | From Vulnerability to Viability in Small-Scale Fisheries: Water, Governance, and Transdisciplinary Pathways | Faculty of Environment; Sustainability Management |
| Sydney Buis | Machine Learning Applications for Predicting Chlorine Residuals and Contaminants in Drinking Water Distribution Systems | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Thenuja Vittanachchi | Whoops It Dried Again: A Paleolimnology Study of the frequency of desiccation events in the Whooping Crane Nesting Region. | Faculty of Science, Department of Biology |
| Tuyasin Jubaida Mou | Architecture of Impermanence | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture |
| Yuxuan Peng | Waterfront & Public Spaces - Victoria Soya Mills Renovation | school of architecture |
| Fareed Zubair | Structures of Becoming: Towards a framework for (non)design and post-industrial remediation for interspecies cohabitation | Faculty of Engineering, School of Architecture |
| Rana Alsharif | Countering Cultural Erasure: Revitalizing the Artisanal Craft of Olive Oil Soap Making in Nablus | Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture |
| Khatoon Motakefghomi |
Modelling TCE Contaminant Transport in Variably Saturated Fractured Bedrock at CTL-III, Santa Susana Field Laboratory
|
Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Science |