David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science

The Cheriton School of Computer Science is named for David R. Cheriton, who earned his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo in 1978. In 2005, Professor Cheriton made a transformational gift to the school that supports named chairs, faculty fellowships, and graduate scholarships.

Discover our latest achievements by following our news. Upcoming talks on a range of computer science topics are found under events.
 
Please go to contact, open positions or visit if you have a question about school programs or services, would like to know more about faculty positions available or plan to visit our school.

News

Professor Jo Atlee in the Davis Centre
Friday, March 7, 2025

Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

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.   

Co-founders crouching in front of the Y Combinator sign (white sign. The "Y" is in an orange block, with white font. Combinator is in orange font). Photo taken outdoors in front of a white building
Thursday, March 6, 2025

Waterloo startup migrates to the Y Combinator

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. 

A brunette donning a dark blue long-sleeve sweater and diamond shaped necklace, leaning against a yellow railing. A large wooden clock is in the background, aganist blue, grey and red walls
Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Meet Ana Crisan, a computer scientist who conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of human-computer interaction, data visualization, and applied AI/ML

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.

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Events