News

Water Institute member Dr. Rebecca Rooney and her Waterloo Wetland Lab organized a successful wetland information session and clean-up event on Wednesday, November 9th. The event took place at a small but highly visible urban wetland at the corner of Columbia and Fisher-Hallman roads in Waterloo, ON that has collected a large amount of unwelcomed litter.

More than 35 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to clean the wetland and raise awareness on the value of wetlands and the threats facing them.

The discovery of a 460 km river under the Antarctica ice sheet could be the missing link to climate models.  

A team of researchers led by Water Institute member Dr. Christine Dow, a professor in the department of Geography and Environmental Management and cross-appointed to the Department of Applied Mathematics, discovered the river from a series of airborne radar surveys and modelling. Their findings show the ice sheet's base has more active water flow than previously thought, which could make it more susceptible to changes in climate. 

Professor leads wetland clean-up event as a teachable moment

Members of the University of Waterloo community led by Dr. Rebecca Rooney and the Waterloo Wetland Lab will engage in a wetland clean-up event and information session on Wednesday, November 9.

In 2022 at the UN Environment Assembly representatives from 175 countries vowed to end plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is ubiquitous on earth affecting every habitat. The most glaring example is “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which is three times the size of France and is comprised of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of discarded plastic. 

Water Institute member Helen Jarvie, a professor of water and global environmental change in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, recently shared research demonstrating how local investments in wastewater treatment are improving water quality, in an article published in the Journal of Environmental Quality.

Originally published by By Carol Truemner, Faculty of Engineering

Engineering professor follows his curiosity to major research prize for industry partnerships

Motivated by an innate sense of curiosity, Water Institute member Dr. Norman Zhou has made significant contributions in many areas of engineering over the past 24 years.

While he began his career as a Waterloo Engineering professor focused on advanced welding and joining technologies, his inquisitive nature also led to advancements in fields including nanomaterials fabrication and laser processing of shape memory alloys.

“I’m constantly wondering ‘why’ and ‘what if’ when it comes to many things in life and my research,” said Zhou, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor who is cross-appointed to electrical and computer engineering.

Zhou’s search for answers also led to national recognition today with the announcement that he is the winner of a prestigious Synergy Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), a prize that comes with a $200,000 research grant.

^{by Chantal Vallis
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Under the banner of Waterloo’s new Sustainable Futures initiative, the Water Institute, Waterloo Climate Institute (WCI), and Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) are looking for emerging top scholars to work across the institutes on interdisciplinary research at the cross-section of climate change, energy and water.

Water Institute member Dr. Chris Fletcher is part of a scientific consortium developing satellite technology to better understand climate change

By Jon Parsons University Relations

A major funding announcement by the Government of Canada recently set in motion a new era of climate science, and a researcher at the University of Waterloo is a member of the group of scientists at the heart of the initiative.

The High-altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour and Clouds (HAWC) mission received $200 million of funding to create transformative new satellite instruments for measuring changes in the atmosphere.

Waterloo’s PhD programs are scholarly and rigorous in terms of theoretical sophistication and depth and breadth of knowledge. But the University’s spirit of innovation calls on PhD students to disrupt and challenge the status quo.

Mitchell Kay completed his doctorate with Prof. Roland Hall through the Department of Biology, specifically within the specialized Collaborative Water Program through the Water Institute.

The Water Institute’s External Advisory Board commenced its biannual meeting Tuesday, October 18 under the leadership of Chair Professor Joan Rose, Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research from Michigan State University.