Future students

Professor Gautam Kamath has been awarded $140,000 from the Ontario Early Researcher Awards program to further his research on algorithms and machine learning techniques that preserve data privacy. 

The amount from the Ontario government is matched by $50,000 from the University of Waterloo, bringing total funding to $190,000.

Professor Jian Zhao has received an Ontario Early Researcher Award, which will provide $140,000 in funding to support his research on enhancing software development through visual interfaces and generative AI. 

The funding from the Ontario government is matched by an additional $50,000 from the University of Waterloo, bringing total funding to $190,000 over five years.

Launched by the Computing Research Association in 2023, the UR2PhD program is designed to broaden access to undergraduate research experiences and inspire students to pursue graduate studies.

Among its institutional partners is the University of Waterloo, where Cheriton School of Computer Science Professor Edith Law coordinates the program locally.

Chris Trevisan, a fourth-year computer science student, is one of eight recipients — and the only recipient from a Canadian university — to receive the 2025 Computing Research Association Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. The association’s top recognition honours exceptional undergraduate students from universities across North America who demonstrate outstanding research potential in the field of computing.

A conversation with Professor Yuntian Deng, where he discusses his natural language processing and machine learning research, advice for aspiring computer scientists, and his excitement about joining the Cheriton School of Computer Science.

Based on its program and research reputation, the Cheriton School of Computer Science has again been ranked number one in Canada in the 2025 Maclean’s university rankings. This marks the fifth consecutive year that CS at Waterloo has received this prestigious distinction.

For Kefan Cao, university has been about finding a balance between working hard and having fun.

Cao is this year’s recipient of the Faculty of Mathematics K.D. Fryer Gold Medal, an honour given to a student who exemplifies academic excellence, good citizenship and involvement in extracurricular activities. He graduates this Friday with a Bachelor of Computer Science degree.

On Friday, September 27, the School of Computer Science held its annual Cheriton Research Symposium, a showcase of research excellence made possible by David R. Cheriton’s generous investment in computer science research. In the afternoon, the School hosted a well-attended poster session featuring the work of 12 graduate students.

Professor Ihab Ilyas has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest national recognition for researchers in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. He is among 104 distinguished individuals across Canada recognized this year for their exceptional scholarly, artistic, and scientific achievements.