News

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.

University Professor M. Tamer Öszu has received the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision, a prestigious recognition conferred annually since 2005 by Waterloo’s Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs in collaboration with the Graduate Student Association.

Linda Wang (she/her), a third-year Computer Science student, is the Co-op Student of the Year for the Faculty of Math! Her incredible work at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) played a pivotal role in developing one of the company’s first generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) use cases in human resources (HR).

A lot has happened to Kristy Gao (BCS ’22) since graduating from the University of Waterloo, nearly three years ago.

She moved to San Francisco for her first post-graduation job. Started a book club to make friends. Got into an accident, where she, a Canadian, had to navigate the complexities of the American healthcare system. Quit her job to launch a health-tech startup, Cenote, with two people she met from her book club. Applied to Y Combinator (YC), the world’s largest and most competitive startup accelerator. Got accepted by YC and received $500,000 USD in seed funding. 

We connected with our alum about her unique entrepreneurship journey, her passion for diversity, equity and inclusive (DEI) initiatives, and her words to her younger self. 

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Peter Forsyth from the Cheriton School of Computer Science, Professor Emeritus Ken Vetzal from the School of Accounting and Finance, and Graham Westmacott, a portfolio manager at Richardson Wealth Limited, have been awarded the 2024 Chris Daykin Prize by the International Actuarial Association.

1Password’s global cybersecurity leadership protects more than 150,000 businesses and millions of consumers, enabling safe online experiences around the world

Why do films, especially ones with computer-generated visuals, need physics simulations?

For Christopher Batty, an Associate Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science whose group develops physics simulation tools for visual effects software, part of the goal is to “offload the physics onto the computer so the artists can really focus on their vision,” he said.

Professor Jo Atlee is an internationally renowned researcher in software engineering, who is a pioneer in automated analysis of software requirements. Recently, Virtualware featured her in a video of remarkable women researchers, alongside Marie Curie and Margaret Hamilton. She co-penned one of the classic software engineering textbooks, Software Engineering: Theory and Practice.

But over the years, she noticed there was something that held her and other women back: how they were socialized to be risk-averse.   

Three childhood friends from the University of Waterloo have secured $500,000 from the Y Combinator (YC) for GALE, an innovative immigration software. 

YC is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious startup accelerators, with an average acceptance rate of one per cent. Every year, recipients receive $500,000 in seed funding and other resources like alumni talks and mentorship. With alumni including Airbnb, DoorDash, and Twitch, YC can help kickstart a young business. 

Ana Crisan joined the Cheriton School of Computer Science as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in August 2024.

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of a conversation with Professor Crisan, where she discusses her research, her advice for aspiring computer scientists, and what excites her about joining the Cheriton School of Computer Science.