Waterloo News - Sustainable Futures

Keep calm, adapt and carry on

Sam Charles — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:10:09 +0000

University of Waterloo economist breaks down the current economic situation in Canada, and says there is light at the end of the tunnel

After emerging from the pandemic on a relatively strong footing, the Canadian economy is now dealing with considerable trade and investment uncertainty because of U.S. policies, including tariffs.

“Coming out of the pandemic, our economy was already facing a cost-of-living crisis, labour market struggling to adapt to demographic and immigration changes, business under-investment and slow-growing productivity, in addition to high inflation,” says Dr. Horatiu Rus, a professor of Economics who specializes in international trade, political economy and the environment. “Starting early this year, and due to policy changes in our largest economic partner, Canada’s challenging economic outlook has become substantially more challenging.”

Faced with this economic instability, Rus says individuals would be well-advised to take a precautionary stance when planning all spending, investments and savings, and should consider in the short to medium run potentially significant swings in prices, interest rates, the exchange rate and employment opportunities economy wide.

There are indications that all sides will renegotiate the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the successor of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was already set to be reviewed in 2026. “Limiting the amount of tariffs faced by Canadian exporters to the U.S. is the focus of these negotiations, but more importantly, so is reducing the massive levels of uncertainty dragging down investment and thus economic growth.”

According to Rus, American protectionism is making it even more imperative for Canada to diversify its trade relations to reduce its reliance on the U.S. “On the policy side, the government is taking steps to find a negotiated solution, while, simultaneously promising to cushion the blow for exporters experiencing sharp declines in their main export market due to tariffs and working to diversify Canada’s international trade flows.”

“As a trade economist, I do not support a policy of broad tariffs,” Rus says. “The academic literature is clear on the effects of protectionism – tariffs increase prices for consumers, make intermediate goods more expensive for businesses, diminish the efficiency gains from specialization and production at scale, decrease product variety and ultimately reduce the economic potential of the economy over the long run.”

Canada and the U.S. have one of the largest economic partnerships in the world, and this latest economic squabble may have additional implications. Rus says the significant U.S. policy shift is building further divides between the two countries, including in the environmental realm. “Based on my research that investigates the interaction between trade and pollution, and trade and renewable resource exploitation, I believe there are many sustainability-related policy areas in Canada — many of them in fact under provincial jurisdiction — which will have to adapt to the new policy regime south of the border.”

The economic relationship between Canada and the U.S. has fluctuated throughout its history. More recently, the border thinned following NAFTA in the 1990s then thickened following September 11, 2001. “Like a marriage, the relationship between Canada and US will continue to weather its ups and downs, but the North American economy is highly integrated and geography dictates close trade ties going forward: it's hard to fight gravity.”

Natural disasters are increasingly putting the value of properties at risk

Sam Charles — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:45:00 +0000

Experts say homeowners and governments need to be more proactive as they face the increasing risk of wildfires and flooding

Whether it’s flooding in Toronto or forest fires raging in Alberta and Manitoba, climate change is pushing natural disasters into populated areas and having a dire impact on communities.

The threat to many homeowners extends beyond property damage and risk of life. The value of their homes and properties could be at risk.

“In Canada right now, few property owners actually know if their property is exposed to any type of climate risk, whether flooding, wildfires or landslides,” says Dr. Jason Thistlethwaite, professor in the Faculty of Environment and co-lead of the Climate Risk Research Group at the University of Waterloo. “We very much like to keep our heads buried in the sand on this. But information and data are powerful tools that can help us direct our community resources towards prevention and preparedness.”

Watch video on YouTube

Recent events around the world, including the fires in Los Angeles and the flooding in the North Coast of Australia, should serve as a further reminder that Canada is not immune from the catastrophic impact of major climate influenced events.

While governments around the world have put in place response teams and protocols, according to researchers there has not been a focus on preparedness. Governments are also off-loading responsibilities to regional and local governments.

“Every dollar governments spend building a community to withstand a disaster like a flood or wildfire has a tremendous return on investment, but it is not rewarded with voters,” Thistlethwaite says. “It’s the opposite in the aftermath of a disaster when a government knows it will lose votes if it doesn’t spend enough on recovery to help people get back on their feet.”

Thistlethwaite says there are many similarities within health care. He says our health-care systems struggle to allocate resources, policy and people to preventative medicine, but when someone gets sick or injured the system responds well.

“Canada is about 10 to 15 years behind its G7 counterparts when it comes to pro-active disaster management,” Thistlethwaite says. “The U.S. has the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which, despite its critics, has a huge budget and tends to be a lot more proactive and experimental than Canadian authorities. The U.K. even has a property address lookup to measure your risk.”

Waterloo researchers from across disciplines are collaborating to analyze and innovate in the areas of preparedness, mitigation and recovery. In the most recent survey conducted by Waterloo researchers about natural disaster awareness in Canada, it was found that only six per cent of Canadians who live in a high-risk flood area were aware of the danger. Insurers and governments have the tools to inform Canadians about these risks, but are reticent to do so because of a fear of influencing property values.

According to Thistlethwaite, it comes down to a lack of data. “I’m working on a project to improve the efficiency of risk assessment so it doesn’t take a bunch of supercomputers or expensive consultants for a municipality to understand whether they can safely build needed housing near a floodplain or wildfire zone safely,” he says. “This involves collaboration with engineers, geospatial specialists, actuaries and policy people.”

Thistlethwaite says you should be able to use your address to access comprehensive information on your property’s exposure to any type of risk.

“You should be able to access the implications for insurance related to that risk and disaster recovery systems in place in your area, and you should know about subsidies and local services that could support you in making informed choices to help protect your property.”

Currently, none of that information is readily available.

He has also explored other policy approaches, including whether or not government-initiated buyout programs would be an effective approach to reducing the flood and fire risk for people and property.

“It is imperative that we consider every option when it comes to resiliency, preparedness and mitigation, so that our communities stay safe.”

It can be challenging to look beyond the fear of disaster and what it can mean to one’s business and property values, but according to Thistlethwaite, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“We need to start treating property owners as adults, by providing clear and transparent information about disaster risk, then we can start coming up with solutions to protect and prepare for what’s ahead.”

Technological Futures

Waterloo represents within BetaKit Most Ambitious List of 2025

Sam Charles — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:38:24 +0000

More than 20 founders from Waterloo highlight the newly unveiled list that celebrates those making the biggest impact inside Canadian tech and innovation

As a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation, it’s no surprise that companies and founders linked to the University of Waterloo have a noticeable presence among those featured within BetaKit’s Most Ambitious List.

Waterloo ranks as the top university in Canada for startup founders and 21st in the world according to the Pitchbook University Rankings. Recently released data shows that Velocity, Waterloo’s core entrepreneurship incubator, has more than 500 companies with a combined enterprise value of $40 billion.

The Most Ambitious List includes several categories including the “Moon Shots” (Canadians reaching for the stars), “Deep Tech,” “World Savers,” “Category Challengers,” “Expats,” “The Products,” and “The Next Generation.”

From student leaders to established founders and companies, the BetaKit list featured some of Waterloo’s best and brightest. Of the four organizations listed among the next generation of Canadian tech was Socratica. The social entrepreneurship collective recently hosted an event in Waterloo that brought together nearly 2500 people to collaborate and share ideas.

"We’re proud to show how when we bring people in, hand them real responsibility and resources, and believe in them, we can do more as an ecosystem," says Jake Rudolph, an engineering student and one of the Socratica’s organizers.

Jetson recognized in the “World Savers” category

Co-founded by Stephen Lake (BASc ’12), Aaron Grant (BASc ’12) and Matt Bailey (BASc ’12), Vancouver-based Jetson is a climate tech product manufacturer that is developing new ways to install heat pumps in residential buildings and homes.

Challengers are breaking open markets and making Canada more competitive

Rachel Bartholomew (MBET ’14), Float, and MappedIn are listed as challengers for reshaping Canadian markets. Bartholomew is the founder and CEO of Hyivy, a company focused on creating therapeutic and remote monitoring devices for gynecological conditions. She is also the founder and lead advisor for Femtech Canada, an advocacy organization for women working in the innovation space.

Former engineering student Hongwei Liu co-founded MappedIn’ while at Waterloo along with Toby Gu (BASc ’15), Mitch Butler and Leander Lee (BCS ’13). Waterloo alum Edward Wei (BCS ’06) is MappedIn’s CTO. The Velocity-linked company is an indoor maps wayfinding platform.

Another Velocity-linked company to make the list is Float which is making waves in the corporate credit card market. Last year, Float co-founders Ruslan Nikolaev (BCS ‘20) and Griffin Keglevich secured $50 million to expand its financial products and innovate business-to-business financial services.

Wealthsimple also made the challenger category. Its Chief Legal Officer is Waterloo arts alum Blair Wiley (BA ’04).

Most ambitious products that have people talking

Among the list of ambitious products are Able Innovations. Able Innovations is a Velocity company that develops solutions for lifting and moving patients within health care settings.

"Being recognized in BetaKit's Most Ambitious list is a great affirmation that Canadian innovation can compete on the global stage when we're willing to take calculated risks and push boundaries,” says Jayiesh Singh, CEO of Able Innovations. “This recognition isn't just about what we've accomplished, it's about the responsibility we have to continue driving solutions that are improving lives and creating better systems."

Rounding out the list are Core Devices, Ideogram, Wave View Imaging and 1Password. Smartware company Core Devices was founded by Eric Migicovsky (BASc ’09). The company recently announced a pair of new smartwatches that run on open-source PebbleOS. Ideogram, a text-to-image platform, was co-founded by William Chan (BASc ’11) in 2022. The following year, it received $16.5 million in seed funding. Wave View Imaging, a non-intrusive imaging system designed to enhance early detection, was co-founded by Elise Fear (BASc ’95) who now serves as CSO.

The CEO of the Waterloo-led unicorn, 1Password, is Jeff Shiner (BMath ’92). The global cybersecurity company protects more than 150,000 businesses and millions of consumers around the world.

The moon shots reaching for the stars

Two companies with Waterloo connections were featured for their Canadian-made innovations that are literally reaching for the stars. Canadian Space Mining Corporation (CSMC) is led by COO Adam Gryfe (MBET ’11). CSMC is an infrastructure and technology company focused on filling key gaps in future space exploration in areas that address Earth’s immediate challenges. The CEO of MDA Space is Mike Greenley (MSc ’97). The space mission partner supports communications satellites, Earth and space observation, space exploration and infrastructure.

Deep tech working on the next big breakthrough

Photonic and Xanadu were among the companies included within the deep tech category. Photonic was founded by Stephanie Simmons (BMath ’08). Today, she serves as the company’s Chief Quantum Officer. The company is building one of the first scalable, distributed, fault-tolerant and unified quantum computing and networking platforms based on optically-linked silicon spin qubits.

Xanadu recently unveiled the world’s first scalable, networked and modular quantum computer. The company’s CTO is Nathan Killoran (PhD ’12, physics).

Since its founding, the University of Waterloo has always been bold and unconventional. It continues to be a place where ambitious innovators and ideas take root. Through transformational research and inspired learning, Waterloo is helping to identify and solve the complex challenges facing humanity and our planet.

The Betakit’s Toronto Tech Week Special Issue also includes an interview with Waterloo professor Larry Smith.

Technological Futures

How to suspend one liquid inside another

David George-Cosh — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Waterloo-led research team creates “programmable” droplets with potential usage in wastewater treatment and carbon capture

Researchers led by a team at the University of Waterloo have developed a way to create tiny droplets of one liquid inside another liquid without mixing the two together.

Known as droplet templating, the technique enables the creation of a new class of nanoparticle-based soft materials with potential applications in carbon capture and wastewater treatment.

The process involves assembling and jamming nanoparticles onto the surface of an aqueous-based droplet, forming a strong outer shell that keeps each droplet intact and distinct. These coated droplets can then be filled with a wide range of nanoparticles and dried to form lightweight, porous aerogel beads.

The aerogel bead droplets are filled with magnetic particles that can be used to shield against electromagnetic waves. A magnet under the Petri dish helps to attract the droplets into the 'C' position. (University of Waterloo)

“This technique allows researchers to create hybrid aerogels by filling each droplet or bead with specific nanomaterials for different targeted uses,” said Dr. Milad Kamkar, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering.

“Researchers can now control not only the composition but also where each droplet is arranged within a liquid, essentially making the droplets and the resulting soft materials and aerogels programmable.”

Kamkar added that the droplet templating process could have a significant impact on wastewater treatment. The aerogel beads could be loaded with different nanoparticles, each targeting specific contaminants, and strategically packed in a column to optimize treatment as wastewater flows through it.

In the fight against climate change, aerogel beads could be infused with metal-organic frameworks and other functional materials to capture carbon dioxide from the air. Potential applications also include sensors, electronics and the aerospace industry.

“This technique allows researchers to create layered, gradient or mixed aerogels, opening up new possibilities for designing multifunctional materials,” said Kamkar, who is also director of the Multiscale Materials Design Lab. “Scientists can now control the precise location of components and nanomaterials.”

Another potential use case for droplet templating is to shield against electromagnetic waves, which can interfere with sensitive equipment. Aerogel beads filled with magnetic and conductive nanomaterials could be strategically placed in buildings like hospitals to protect patients and equipment from electromagnetic interference.

“In the modern world, we’re constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves from electronics such as cell phones, laptops and Wi-Fi, which can negatively affect the performance of sensitive equipment,” Kamkar said.

“These waves can also cause serious health issues, such as cancer. Removing this invisible pollution from our environment is a big challenge, and these aerogel beads could help address it.”

Kamkar and the Waterloo team collaborated on this research with researchers at the University of British Columbia and Drexel University in Philadelphia.

A paper on their work, Droplet-templating soft materials into structured bead-based aerogels with compartmentalized or welded configurations, recently appeared in Material Horizons.

Second image: A suspended droplet atop a generated interfacial layer of nanoparticle (CNC)-surfactant. The top phase is hexane-POSS, and the bottom phase is CNC suspension. (University of Waterloo)

Feature image: Dr. Milad Kamkar, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, photographed in his laboratory where he developed the droplet technology that can contain one liquid inside another. (University of Waterloo)

Engineering

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Sustainable Futures

Technological Futures

More than 1,200 founders and counting

Sam Charles — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Newly released data shows Velocity companies have an enterprise value of $40-billion

The University of Waterloo startup ecosystem has long been a driver of innovation across its campuses, in Waterloo region and around the world. Entrepreneurship is woven deep within the Waterloo DNA and continues to grow and prosper because of a solid foundation of support and resources.

At the core of the Waterloo ecosystem is Velocity. The organization is more than an incubator. It is a community of founders dedicated to supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of students and researchers by providing the advisory services, industry connections and investor relations required to accelerate their business traction.

Momentum, the recently released publication from Velocity highlights that their founders are connecting to capital. Velocity’s more than 500 companies have a combined enterprise value of $40 billion.

John Dick, Velocity’s senior director of Founder Development, says its work, and that of the companies it supports, are becoming increasingly important given the current economic landscape in Canada. “At Velocity, we know that startups are the key to unlocking Canada’s potential. Founders are not just building companies; they’re building the future of Canadian competitiveness.”

Every year, more than 1,400 students step into Velocity and many walk out as startup founders. In 2024, 395 student-led teams were actively building on campus and moving from idea to pre-seed startup.

“We’re encouraged by the growing progress and impact of our community of students, founders, builders and innovators,” Dick says. “Velocity not only prepares startup founders, but it trains the leaders and changemakers of tomorrow.”

PatientCompanion, founded by Christy Lee (BASc ’24) and Ethan Alvizo (BASc ’24) joined Velocity in Fall 2023, and completed a successful hospital pilot in 2024. The platform improves communication between patients and care teams, helping reduce nurses’ workload.

In less than one-year, PatientCompanion launched CAN Health commercialization projects in three Ontario hospitals; Waterloo Region Health Network (WRHN) Midtown and Brightshores Health System in Owen Sound and Southampton, focusing on women’s and children’s care, childbirth and acute units. The company is now preparing to scale across Canada. They are an example of Velocity founders who are getting traction early.

“We’ve built a support model that goes beyond traditional incubation and helps founders move faster, reduce risk and succeed sooner,” says Moazam Khan, director at Velocity. “By opening doors to customers, capital and connections, we’re de-risking startups across team, technology and traction. Ultimately, we’re accelerating founder success and driving real gains in Canadian productivity.”

Within the last year, Velocity received more than 300 applications, resulting in 41 promising new, pre-seed and seed startups joining its program located at the Innovation Arena in downtown Kitchener. Already, 83 pilot projects have been unlocked with companies securing $62 million. Collectively, they have generated $12 million in revenue and acquired 136 customers.

The Momentum publication also showcases the wide variety of startups originating through Velocity. From health technologies to finance and robotics, founders are contributing to nearly every sector.

“Velocity empowers thousands of student founders to turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions,” Dick says. “When students have the right tools, community network and coaches, they can build impactful solutions — and they do.”

There are plenty of Velocity founders to watch in 2025 including:

Airfairness – A platform that helps passengers around the world receive fair compensation after experiencing flight disruptions.
Doro – AI-based psychotherapy tools for early and subclinical mental health needs thereby preventing conditions from escalating into a disorder.
Entangled Vision – An early-stage macular degeneration screening test allowing for earlier treatment options to prevent vision impairment.
Foqus Technologies – Technology that enhances the sensitivity of magnetic resonance technology (MRI), resulting in scans that are 10 times faster with higher-resolution for earlier disease detection and is less expensive than hardware upgrades.
Gale - Visa application platform that accelerates applications, frees up lawyers to focus on strategy and ensures ongoing compliance for applicants and businesses throughout the visa lifecycle.
Movarion - Power-assisted carts and dollies that make it easier for health-care workers to move equipment and supplies while reducing the risk of injury.
Liquid Energy - Turnkey green data centers solutions that store renewable energy and recovers waste heat to produce heating, cooling and electricity.
Page - A real-time government relations platform that turns government noise into a competitive advantage featuring personalized insights, effortless tracking and a suite of AI-powered tools.
Phantom Photonics – Quantum-based sensors that are used both underwater to monitor equipment and in space, to prevent satellite collisions.
Real Life Robotics - Autonomous and teleoperated ground cargo and delivery robotics.
Swish Solar - Self-cleaning solar technology designed to actively keep solar panels clean in snowy and sandy regions, eliminating inefficiencies and maximizing energy output.
Upside Robotics - Autonomous robots that match fertilizer to crop needs, leading to better yields, lower costs and healthier soil for farmers.

Velocity continues to support founders who are unlocking economic impact in Waterloo region and beyond. As Canada continues to navigate uncertain economic times, Velocity supported companies will play a pivotal role in ensuring its continued success.

Technological Futures

Is Waterloo Region ready for a million people?

Darren Mc Almont — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:00:29 +0000

The Future Cities Institute joins forces with BestWR to help measure the region’s readiness for growth

As Waterloo Region grows closer to the 2050 projection of one million people, it faces challenges shared with many growing regions and municipalities across Canada. This hopeful milestone comes with big questions about infrastructure, housing, transit, livability and the overall readiness of the region to support its residents in responsible, resilient ways.

A new partnership between the Future Cities Institute (FCI) founded by CAIVAN at the University of Waterloo, and the Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BestWR), a coalition of local business leaders, is working to answer the important question: are we ready?

To help answer this question, BestWR launched the first issue of the Vision 1 Million Scorecard, a public-facing tool grounded in data designed to measure how prepared the region is across five key areas of readiness: housing supply, transportation infrastructure, healthcare services, employment opportunities, placemaking and livability. The scorecard is a living tracker of not just where the region is going, but how well it is progressing. Updated every six months, the scorecard will support the region’s efforts to direct resources to where they’re most needed.

To ensure the scorecard is credible, transparent and grounded in data, BestWR has chosen the FCI as its academic partner. This collaboration brings new depth to the project, adding academic expertise and community accountability. In the lead-up to the first review cycle, the FCI is helping to confirm baseline data and align the metrics with Waterloo Region initiatives.

“Cities receive population projections from the province,” says Dr. Leia Minaker, director of the FCI. “But most don’t have comprehensive ways to actually measure preparedness. This is the gap we’re going to help close.”

Making metrics matter

The scorecard addresses that gap by bringing traditionally siloed indicators into one accessible, public-facing framework.

“It’s a scorecard with purpose,” says Ian McLean, President and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (GKWCC). “But we need more than just good intentions. We need accurate data, academic backing and insights on how to get us to where we need to be.”

That’s where the FCI comes in. As a hub for interdisciplinary, action-orientated work and research, FCI will refine and validate the metrics and support ongoing data analysis. The FCI will also help ensure the tool evolves with community feedback and academic insights.

“We don’t want to just import a model here,” Minaker says. “This is about co-creating a regional tool that’s useful, usable and totally rooted in reality.”

Built with partners, built to last

This partnership aligns with FCI’s mission and vision of creating scalable, innovative solutions that address the most pressing challenges cities and communities face today and in the future. It also highlights the FCI’s approach to partnerships: not as one-off collaborations, but as long-term ventures that create real impact in our communities.

“The scorecard is about accountability and transparency across sectors,” Minaker says. “If we want to be a community that leads, we need to have the courage to ask the tough questions, create the tools to answer them, and then work with industry, government and civil society organizations to make sure we’re all contributing.”

Just the start

The Vision 1 Million Scorecard offers a new way to tackle those challenges head-on, with evidence, experience and shared responsibility.

For the FCI, it’s another example of how impactful academia and innovative tool-making can meet the moment. Municipal leaders, industry partners and community members are all encouraged to explore the findings and join the conversation.

Defining readiness is not just a numbers game; it’s a mindset, and Waterloo Region is ready to lead the way.

To learn more and stay updated, follow the FCI on LinkedIn, or visit our website.

Reclaiming Anishinaabeg moss bags for cultural and ecological healing

Chantal Vallis — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:09:14 +0000

Environment undergrad student Samantha Terry focused her final research project on supporting Indigenous families in reclaiming their relationships with Anishinaabeg parenting practices and reconnecting with peatlands

Culture doesn't vanish—it sleeps until stirred again. This idea lies at the heart of Samantha Terry’s research on Anishinaabeg moss bags.

Terry, a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Environment is Ojibwe from Temagami First Nation and of settler descent. Working with the Can-Peat research team at the WAMPUM Lab, her research documented the reclamation process of moss bags to relearn the ecological knowledge held by Indigenous mothers that connects the Anishinaabeg to peatlands.

Moss bags are made with fabric and leather which wrap tightly around an infant’s body. Traditionally, they were made with hide and stuffed with sphagnum moss (aasaakamig), which acted as a diaper for the child. The bag was laced up at the front to ensure the infant’s safety and create a tactile experience akin to the womb. Infants were placed in the bag from birth, allowing the mother to continue carrying her child while she did her day-to-day activities.

The process of sewing a moss bag.

The value of the moss used in the bags cannot be understated. Moss can hold up to 25 times its weight in water and is known for its medicinal antiseptic properties. It is important to Anishinaabeg for infant care, but also to treat wounds and used for sanitary hygiene. Once the moss was soiled, it could be washed and dried in the sun before reuse. But, if the moss was badly soiled, it could be burned or left to decompose. Its renewable properties reduced the production of waste in communities and represented the sustainable practices used by the Anishinaabeg to ensure the regeneration of the land.

These traditional teachings of care and sustainability are deeply intertwined in family and community roles. However, colonial practices like forced assimilation, the medicalization of childbirth, and residential schools profoundly disrupted these roles both in the past and present. Work like Terry’s is an important step in continuing the process of revitalizing these ancestral teachings to restore relationships between people and land, between generations past and present.

For her senior honours thesis, Terry interviewed moss bag practitioners, conducted a literature review and collaborated with Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre to host a Moss Bag Creation Workshop for Indigenous Peoples to engage in moss bag storytelling and connect to peatlands.

Over the course of the workshop, two visual drawing boards were completed by Kaite Laronde, graphic recorder from Temagami First Nation. The drawings represent the participants’ answers to questions about why it’s important to practice these traditions and reflect on what they learned.

“We have a lot of modern conveniences, swaddles and diapers, that are similar to the moss bag,” says Terry. “But I think moss bags are still deeply connected to the land even if we use fabric and ribbon now. It keeps those ties to cultural knowledge and practices and allows them to evolve with us.”

This sentiment resonated with participants who echoed the importance of reclaiming traditions and how empowering the act of learning was. Kelly, a workshop participant from Flying Post First Nation noted “it connects us to our ancestors. My ancestors are sewing with me. It's to have that understanding of the way we connect to our ancestors and how they relive through us.”

Terry points out that Anishinaabeg mothers harvesting and conservation practices have a lot of value for ecosystem management today. The Anishinaabeg have been stewards of peatlands within our territory for millennia, maintaining healthy peatland ecosystems and harvesting moss. Although current efforts within Canada are returning to the inclusion of Indigenous practices, peatlands will continue to experience dramatic impacts under climate change which would benefit from further integration of Indigenous teachings.

“With that maternal ecological knowledge and how we’re reclaiming it, we are looking at how it can also influence the Can-Peat project and use it for conservation and protection of peatlands.”

As to what that will look like, Terry will continue working with the WAMPUM Lab this summer. She plans to continue interviewing moss bag creators and practitioners to see how their knowledge can help create more opportunities for knowledge sharing and integration to benefit reclamation and conservation efforts.

“Samantha’s research exemplifies the type of Indigenous-led scholarship we strive to uplift: grounded in care, cultural continuity, and community benefit,” says Dr. Kelsey Leonard, Director of the WAMPUM Lab and professor in the Faculty of Environment. “Her work not only strengthens our understanding of the natal connection to land but also amplifies our broader goals at the WAMPUM Lab—to support Indigenous climate leadership, champion environmental justice, and ensure Indigenous women and families are centered in research shaping the future. This aligns closely with the Faculty of Environment’s commitment to sustainability and reconciliation, creating space for research that is transformative, community-informed, and deeply impactful.”

The Can-Peat research team at a symposium in Kananaskis, Alberta.

In the face of climate change and ecological loss, Terry’s research reminds us that restoration begins with remembering. “In reclaiming our cultures, we are awakening practices and knowledge that have been sleeping, not lost,” Terry says.

A note of thanks: At the WAMPUM Lab, our research is deeply rooted in relational accountability and guided by the advice of Elders and community research partners. Through our collaboration with the Can-Peat project, we’ve been honored to learn from Elders about the storied and sacred connections between moss, peatlands, and moss bags—a relationship that begins at birth and continues across lifetimes.

Environment

Research

Sustainable Futures

Scorecard measures gaps in wildfire preparedness

Pamela Smyth — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:52:33 +0000

New tool could help municipalities across Canada with disaster resilience

In response to recent devastating wildfire seasons in Alberta, a new tool is helping communities in the province determine, reduce and better manage their risk as forecasts suggest these events will become more frequent.

The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, in partnership with FireSmart^TM Alberta, released a new report entitled, From Risk to Readiness: Enhancing Alberta’s Wildfire Preparedness Through the FireSmart™ Scorecard. The Scorecard helps communities assess and strengthen their wildfire readiness. Evaluating 10 critical areas, such as vegetation management, emergency planning, and training for emergency responders, this tool could be customized to help communities across the country save people, homes and infrastructure from wildfires.

In 2023, over a thousand wildfires in Alberta broke records with the size of the area they destroyed — including more than 100 homes — triggering mass evacuations and causing widespread concerns over air quality. Last year’s wildfire season was equally intense, with nearly 1,200 fires, including the Jasper Wildfire Complex, which displaced 25,000 people and destroyed a third of the town.

“The Scorecard helps communities move from reacting in a crisis to proactive wildfire preparedness,” said Dr. Anabela Bonada, managing director, climate science at the Intact Centre. “There used to be no way for municipalities in Alberta to measure this specific risk. Now they can identify strengths, pinpoint gaps and focus investments to build long-term resilience to wildfires.”

In 2024, 10 pilot communities tested the Scorecard across Alberta. While the average overall grade was a B, municipalities’ individual results per category ranged from A+ to fail. The pilot revealed strong emergency planning and training capabilities, but systemic barriers to preparedness including funding constraints, limited staff capacity, weak enforcement powers and confusion regarding which municipal authority to regulate wildfire risk.

“Despite areas of strength in wildfire preparedness across Albertan communities, caution should be paramount, as fire will exploit outstanding weak links in the chain to wreak havoc”, said Dr. Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre. “As wildfires grow in number and size, Canadians must prepare for all dimensions of resilience, not as a choice, but as a necessity.”

The report calls for action to overcome these obstacles, including:

Expand and Simplify Provincial Funding so that more communities can navigate the application process for financial support to fund community wildfire preparedness.
Legislative Reforms to increase the authority of municipalities to enforce wildfire-resilient construction.
Give Direction to homeowners on simple actions they can take to protect their homes from risk of wildfire.
Improved Guidance to raise awareness among municipal workers on zoning and landscaping to reduce wildfire risk in areas where communities meet forests and grasslands.

Expanding the adoption of the Scorecard Alberta-wide would provide all municipalities with a standardized framework to prioritize investment in resilience, allocate resources effectively and prepare communities for increasing wildfire risk to protect lives and property.

“In leading this effort, Alberta could pave the way for a coordinated, nationwide approach to community wildfire resilience,” Bonada said. “The early onset of simultaneous wildfires in 2025 across Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland underscores the need to mobilize wildfire protection immediately.”

Full details of the report and Scorecard are available on the website for the Intact Centre.

(Photo credit for banner image: Schroptschop/Getty Images)

Environment

Research

Sustainable Futures

Three Waterloo graduates earn prestigious gold medals

Darren Mc Almont — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 04:15:00 +0000

The Governor General Gold Medal awards graduate students for their remarkable academic achievements and transformative research

The University of Waterloo is pleased to recognize three outstanding graduate students as recipients of the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal at Spring 2025 Convocation.

This distinguished award honours graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and a remarkable commitment to scholarly excellence. These recipients exemplify the brilliance and impact of our academic community, contributing transformative research and advancing knowledge for the betterment of society.

Each year, the Advisory Committee on Graduate Scholarships and Awards carefully reviews nominations to select the medal recipients. Nominees who are not selected will be recognized as University Finalists and will receive a certificate of distinction.

This year, we are delighted to present the Governor General’s Gold Medal to one master’s and two PhD graduands. Please join us in celebrating their extraordinary accomplishments and the inspiration they bring to our academic community.

Laura Pierson (Master of Mathematics in Combinatorics and Optimization)
Faculty of Mathematics
Supervisors: Drs. Oliver Pechenik and Logan Crew

Laura Pierson’s research applied algebraic tools to the study of discrete mathematical structures. She studied colouring problems (like finding all ways to colour a map so that neighbouring countries get different colours) using deep and modern ideas from pure mathematics like homology and K-theory. Pierson proved several unrelated conjectures that had been posed by established mathematicians. She was also the first to make significant progress on multiple other open problems.

“I chose to study at Waterloo because unlike most schools, it has an entire Faculty of Mathematics, with a whole department uniquely focused on the area of math I'm most interested in,” she says. “I don't think there are many schools where I could have been surrounded by so many people with similar mathematical interests to me.”

Pierson plans to pursue a PhD in mathematics.

Dr. Michelle Anagnostouo (PhD in Geography)
Faculty of Environment
Supervisor: Dr. Brent Doberstein

Dr. Michelle Anagnostou’s research examined global illegal wildlife trade — a significant and growing form of organized crime which intersects with other forms of serious crimes like trafficking in drugs, humans and arms — a phenomenon called “crime convergence.”

Her work also explored the types and global patterns of crime convergence in illegal wildlife trade by uncovering its conceptual and theoretical foundations.

Her dissertation is comprised of data from interviewing 112 law enforcement personnel and other experts in key source, transit and destination regions that include Canada, South Africa and Hong Kong.

“I chose the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment for its reputation as a leader in innovative research and its vibrant, world-class faculty,” she says. “Throughout my PhD, I received outstanding support in career development, skill-building, and had the privilege of working with exceptional mentors who guided me every step of the way.”

Immediately following her doctoral defense in the fall of 2024, Anagnostou took up a prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Oxford, working with global experts in the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science to advance the use of financial investigations to mitigate illegal wildlife trade.

Dr. Fasih Rahman (PhD in Kinesiology)
Faculty of Health
Supervisor: Dr. Joe Quadrilatero

Dr. Fasih Rahman’s doctoral research investigated the role of mitochondrial remodeling pathways in skeletal muscle, emphasizing mitochondria as critical regulators of both energy production and cellular health. His findings have significant implications for therapeutic approaches aimed at maintaining skeletal muscle health.

During his doctoral studies, Rahman authored and co-authored 32 conference proceedings, and published 32 full-length papers and book chapters, including contributions to leading journals such as Autophagy.

Rahman is continuing his research as an NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, aiming to expand his expertise in bioenergetics and metabolism. His current goal is to bridge the gap between mitochondrial stress responses and metabolic regulation.

“One of the things I will miss the most about Waterloo is the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with passionate peers in a research environment that consistently fostered curiosity, creativity and growth,” he says.

Master’s finalists

Aparajita Bhattacharya, Public Issues Anthropology

Supervisor: Dr. Alexis Dolphin | Faculty of Arts

Felicia Mae Watterodt, Geography

Supervisor: Dr. Brent Doberstein | Faculty of Environment

Doctoral finalists

Dr. Esther Ai-Leng Foong-Reichert, Pharmacy

Supervisors: Drs. Kelly Grindrod and Sherilyn Houle | Faculty of Science

Dr. Sepehr Hajebi, Combinatorics and Optimization

Supervisor: Dr. Sophie Spirkl | Faculty of Mathematics

Dr. Megan Olivia Kelly, Psychology

Supervisor: Dr. Evan Risko | Faculty of Arts

Dr. Aravind Ravi, Systems Design Engineering

Supervisors: Drs. Ning Jiang and James Tung | Faculty of Engineering

Technological Futures

From discovery to impact: Celebrating our PhD graduates

Darren Mc Almont — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 04:15:00 +0000

Six Waterloo graduates share their stories of perseverance, innovation and advocacy as they prepare to cross the stage at convocation

The path to earning a PhD is rarely straightforward. It demands not only intellectual depth through rigorous coursework and research, but also creativity, resilience and interdisciplinary thinking.

Throughout their doctoral journey, candidates push the boundaries of conventional knowledge — developing innovative approaches to address some of the world’s most complex challenges. Their research opens new frontiers and contributes to solutions that can shape a healthier, more sustainable future. As we celebrate our PhD graduands at Spring 2025 Convocation, we invite you to learn more about a few of their stories as they prepare to cross the stage and step into the next chapter of their journey.

Dr. Tasneem Alsayyed Ahmad, PhD in Philosophy

While pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy, I was introduced to feminist philopsophy and social epistemology and wanted to apply these ideas to contexts familiar to me.

As a woman from a Muslim background, I noticed a troubling gap in scholarship on the topic since the literature was either Islamophobic or contained very strict and narrow views of Muslim women’s experiences. This motivated me to address the marginalization of Muslims in academic discourse.

My doctoral research critically examined hijab debates and veiling practices with a focus on how these discourses are manipulated to marginalize Muslims. Specifically, I explored how both Western imperialist narratives and Islamic right-wing politics exploit hijab-related discourse, reinforcing colonial ideologies while obstructing solidarity among Muslim women.

My work reveals how dominant narratives about the hijab silence diverse Muslim voices and perpetuate epistemic and social injustices.

I chose the University of Waterloo to work specifically with my supervisor Dr. Jennifer Saul and was happy to find a department supportive of my focus on Islamophobia and gender. Having taken up a position as assistant professor at the University of Canada West, my goal is to grow as an educator, to challenge colonial knowledge and to continue my research on the social and epistemic oppression of marginalized groups.

Dr. Nicole Sandra-Yaffa Dumont, PhD in Computer Science

Six years ago, during my master’s degree, I started learning more about artificial intelligence (AI) at a time when the field was evolving quickly. While I found AI fascinating, I kept wondering, ‘What — if anything — do artificial neural networks reveal about real brains? Can we use models to reverse-engineer cognitive processes?’

Those questions pulled me toward theoretical neuroscience, where my PhD research, under the supervision of Drs. Chris Eliasmith and Jeff Orchard, focused on building biologically plausible neural network models of spatial cognition. I was interested in how the brain represents space and the neural mechanisms behind navigation — and what those mechanisms can tell us about cognition more generally. 

I hope the findings of my research will not only advance our understanding of navigation in the brain but also push the field to rethink how we model cognition more broadly — from memory and planning to social behaviour.

Looking ahead, I’ll be pursuing postdoctoral research since I would like to extend my expertise to understand how computations underlying spatial navigation may apply to other domains like navigating a social landscape.

Dr. Muzi Li, PhD in Astrophysics

At five years old, I was captivated by the vastness of space and time, during a visit to the Beijing Planetarium with my grandmother. I knew shortly after that visit that I wanted to become an astronomer, but never imagined a childhood fascination would one day lead me here.

My PhD research how the energy released by supermassive black holes at their centers can precisely offset cooling in the surrounding hot gas, keeping the system in balance.

I was drawn to the University of Waterloo after a visit to the Perimeter Institute in 2018 where Dr. Brian McNamara — who later became my supervisor — gave a talk on finding the missing cooling gas in galaxy clusters. That brief visit and talk also gave me a strong impression: Waterloo is a young, vibrant and intellectually exciting place to be.

As I head back to China to continue my astrophysics research as a postdoctoral fellow, I hope my contribution to the field can be tested and refined by more precise observations in the future, helping to complete a small part of the puzzle in our understanding of galaxy clusters.

Dr. Arlene Oetomo, PhD in Public Health Sciences

I have always been a nature lover and a bit of a technology nerd. In 2018, during the heatwave in Ontario and Quebec, I thought, “What could we do to prevent individuals from dying indoors from extreme heat, especially if they don’t have air conditioning?”

That question was the impetus for my doctoral research at the University of Waterloo where I explored indoor temperatures of low-income homes across British Columbia and Ontario. Importantly, my research intersects with climate science and technology and demonstrates how interdisciplinary action is key to tackling the climate crisis.

My research, under the supervision of Dr. Plinio Morita, supported heat response efforts like checking on vulnerable tenants in person or via phone by using smart thermostats and creating a system to provide real-time temperature alerts.

While the thermostat is a ubiquitous device, it also demonstrates how there are solutions to our biggest problems, including the climate crisis, all around us.

The findings of my research will empower my advocacy efforts to protect vulnerable populations via policy, legislation, and awareness building of the dangers of extreme heat.

Dr. Ade Oyegunle, PhD in Sustainability Management

As the world faces increasingly complex challenges including climate change, my research helps to bridge the gap between climate science and financial decision-making.

Having worked as a sustainability professional in the financial industry, I was motivated to pursue this area of research after realizing that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a systemic financial risk.

My PhD research explored the intersection of climate policy, financial risk and banking regulation, with a focus on how climate transition risks like carbon pricing affect the credit risk exposure and financial stability of banks.

My research found that as carbon prices rise, the risk of financial distress increases for companies with high carbon footprints. This, in turn, increases the risk to banks that lend to them.

I chose to pursue this research at the University of Waterloo because of its strong reputation for interdisciplinary research, innovation and applied problem-solving. The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development offered a unique platform to explore the intersection of climate change, finance and policy, something that few other institutions could provide in such an integrated way.

Looking ahead, I want to help translate my research into action, ensuring that financial systems evolve to meet the demands of the climate transition.

Dr. Fatima Suleiman, PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

After completing my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, I dreamed of designing the next revolutionary product. In 2015, I attended a conference in Lagos, Nigeria, where Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple was asked, “Who represents the future of engineering innovation?” His answer on the transformative power of an interdisciplinary background stuck with me — and ultimately led me to pursue a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Graduate Diploma in Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo — renowned for its commitment to interdisciplinary research.

My PhD research focused on improving temperature measurement for advanced high strength steels (AHSS), which helps the automotive industry produce lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I was drawn to this area of research after taking a course on heat transfer with Dr. Kyle Daun, who later became my supervisor.

At the start of this research project, I hoped to eliminate pyrometry errors entirely. I hope my research will contribute meaningfully to the much larger collective effort towards mitigating climate change, specifically by enabling more precise thermal control during AHSS processing, which in turn supports more sustainable vehicle production through improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced emissions.

Technological Futures