Nearly 200 alumni gathered at the Toronto Zoo on Saturday to picnic and hobnob with the animals, reports Pat Duguay of Development and Alumni Affairs, who sent this photo. "During the picnic, we were visited by Alice the Camel.  She has been hand-raised because of an injury shortly after birth so was completely comfortable being around kids and even being mauled a bit by them.... Note the very cute ‘future grad’ bucket hats."

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Waterloo will have nanotechnology grad degrees

A program of graduate degrees in nanotechnology, involving seven departments from two UW faculties, was approved by the university Senate at its June 15 meeting. Here’s some of the background material presented to explain the program.

“There is currently no graduate-level program in Canada that offers students an integrative, multidisciplinary training program with a specific focus on nanotechnology and the breadth of the program proposed here. Most of the academic nanotechnology-related research is concentrated within individual departments of chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering, and electrical and computer engineering.

“The bridging of graduate programs between the faculties of engineering and science will offer students a stimulating educational environment spanning basic research through to application. This focused interdisciplinary program in nanotechnology will establish the University of Waterloo as the leading educational training centre in Canada for students interested in developing their skills at the master’s and doctoral levels, and position Canada at the forefront of undergraduate and graduate nanotechnology education.

Nanotechnology institute a strength

“The Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology (WIN) is a multidisciplinary research institute involving researchers from the seven participating departments in both faculties. The institute will promote and foster interdisciplinary research activities, and administer about 40 endowed scholarships annually. Graduate students in the new collaborative programs will benefit from the depth and breadth of existing strengths offered by the two faculties.... Graduate students can pursue research topics in one of the four broad areas of nanomaterials, nano-electronics design and fabrication, nano-instruments and devices, and nano-biosystems.

“The MASc and MSc degree collaborative programs provide a strong foundation in the emerging areas of nano-engineering or nano-science in preparation for the workforce or for further graduate study and research leading to a doctoral degree. Engineering students will be enrolled in the MASc program to pursue the nano-engineering track which focuses on the design, fabrication and integration of nanoscale devices, structures and nano-systems. Science students will be admitted in the MSc program to specialize in nanoscience.

“The overall goal of the PhD collaborative program is to prepare students for careers as scholars and researchers with expertise in nano-engineering or nano-science. The program is intended for students who have career interests in academe, industrial research and development, and government research laboratories.

Support for grad students

“All graduate students engaged in MASc/MSc and PhD studies at the University of Waterloo receive financial support. In addition, the students who are admitted into the collaborative graduate programs will also be eligible to apply for the new Fellowships in Nanotechnology. Through the generous gift of an anonymous donor, an endowment has been established to annually award 42 graduate Fellowships in Nanotechnology valued at $20,000 per year. The fellowship can be held simultaneously with other graduate awards. Special consideration for these awards will be given to students intending to pursue projects involving cross-disciplinary collaboration in nanotechnology.

“The proposed new collaborative program will provide a formal mechanism for graduate students with research interests in nanotechnology that bridge conventional disciplinary categories to cross department and faculty boundaries. This will foster interactions between students and faculty members, and encourage stronger research activity at the interfaces of the disciplines which are the fertile areas of nanotechnology science and engineering advancements. For example, students with interest in cell sorting and analysis using micro-fluidic channels will be co-supervised by faculty members in mechanical engineering and biology departments.

An enriched experience

“The collaborative program is designed to give graduate students an enriched educational experience while enjoying affiliation with an established academic unit. The goal is to allow the students to gain perspectives on nanotechnology from a wide community of scholars within and outside their disciplines in both course and thesis work. To fulfill their course requirements, students will be offered twelve different core modules and an extended list of elective courses in the four areas of research focus. These courses will be taught by faculty members from the seven participating departments. In addition, they will also be required to give and attend research seminars, thereby developing discussion forums with their peers from other departments.

“There are already plans to schedule a ‘Distinguished Lecture Series’ of prominent researchers from around the world to participate in the seminar program. Graduate students will also be able to make use of extensive laboratory resources from different departments and the new WIN state-of-the-art common laboratories.”

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Europe's doors open for nanotechnology student

by Julia Wegenast, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs

When Michal Mleczko (left) first attended Waterloo three years ago, he knew he'd be receiving a great education from a one-of-a-kind nanotechnology engineering program. But he had no idea his undergraduate experience would see him travel to southern France to work at one of Europe's leading research centres.

Originally bent on pursuing physics, Michal was soon captivated by nanotechnology — an emerging multidisciplinary field of engineering and science that uses small-scale molecules in large-scale applications. His interests are geared towards nano-electronics and device engineering — devices with tangible applications, such as making computers faster, increasing the capacity of digital memory devices, or improving the efficiency of solar cells.

For eight months during his second year, Michal worked as a research assistant at the European Membrane Institute in Montpellier, France. Funded in part by the University of Waterloo President's Scholarship and the International Experience Award, Michal helped develop innovative carbon capture environmental technologies as part of the Nano-Structured Membranes Against Global Warming project.

We asked Michal:

What are some practical applications of carbon capture technologies?
Carbon capture technologies essentially filter environmentally harmful carbon dioxide from emissions at factories or power plants. I worked with a team of scientists to create a ceramic filtration module that could be placed on the output (such as chimney stacks) of industrial facilities, therefore capturing and isolating the toxic gases. Ultimately, this research could help address the global climate change crisis by preventing carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

What were some highlights of your experience in France?
The opportunity to work at such a high-calibre research institute was definitely a high point for me, especially considering the relevant applications of my research to one of the most pressing environmental issues of the day. As this project represented a junction between science and industry, I had the opportunity to use some of the most modern scientific equipment. And naturally, experiencing a different culture, geography, and society is not something I'll soon forget.

How has the President's Scholarship you received impacted you?
I'm so grateful to donors who support President's Scholarships, including the International Experience awards. This scholarship enabled me to participate in exciting, relevant research at a world-class institute while immersed in the language and customs of one of Europe's most interesting regions. Not many undergraduates can say they've had opportunities like that.

CPA staff

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