University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo ( commonly referred to as Waterloo , UW or UWaterloo ) is a public research university with a main campus located in Waterloo , Ontario , Canada . The main campus is located on of land in " Uptown " Waterloo , adjacent to Waterloo Park . The university offers academic programs administered by six faculties and ten faculty - based schools . The university also operates four satellite campus es and four affiliated university colleges . Waterloo is a member of the U15 , a group of research - intensive universities in Canada . The institution was established on 1 July 1957 as the Waterloo College Associate Faculties , a semi - autonomous entity of Waterloo College . This entity formally separated from Waterloo College in 1959 , and was incorporated as a university . It was established to fill the need to train engineers and technicians for Canada ' s growing postwar economy . It grew substantially over the next decade , adding a faculty of arts in 1960 , and the College of Optometry of Ontario which moved from Toronto in 1967 . The university is co - educational , and has nearly 26 , 000 undergraduate and over 4 , 000 post - graduate students . Alumni and former students of the university can be found across Canada and in over 140 countries . The university ranked 151 - 200th in the 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities , 180th in the 2013 QS World University Rankings , and 226 - 250th in the 2012 – 2013 Times Higher Education World University Rankings . Waterloo ' s computer science and computer engineering programs are ranked 24th and 43rd respectively by QS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities . Waterloo ' s varsity teams , known as the Waterloo Warriors , compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport . History . The University of Waterloo traces its origins to Waterloo College , the academic outgrowth of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary , which was affiliated with the University of Western Ontario since 1925 . When Gerald Hagey assumed the presidency of Waterloo College in 1953 , he made it his priority to procure the funds necessary to expand the institution . While the main source of income for higher education in Ontario at the time was the provincial government , the Ontario government made it clear that it would not contribute to denominational colleges and universities . Hagey soon became aware of the steps undertaken by McMaster University to make itself eligible for some provincial funding by establishing Hamilton College as a separate , non - denominational college affiliated with the university . Following that method , Waterloo College established the Waterloo College Associate Faculties on 4 April 1956 , as a non - denominational board affiliated with the College . The academic structure of the Associated Faculties was originally focused on cooperative education in the applied sciences . While the plan was initially opposed by the Engineering Institute of Canada and other Canadian universities , notably the University of Western Ontario , the Associated Faculties admitted its first students in July 1957 . On 25 January 1958 , the Associated Faculties announced the purchase of over of land west of Waterloo College . By the end of the same year , the Associated Faculties opened its first building on the site , the Chemical Engineering Building . In 1959 , the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed an Act which formally split the Associated Faculties from Waterloo College , and re - established it as the University of Waterloo . The governance was modelled on the University of Toronto Act of 1906 , which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a Senate , responsible for academic policy , and a Board of Governors exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters . The president , appointed by the board , was to act as the institution ' s chief executive officer and act as a liaison between the two groups . The legislative act was the result of a great deal of negotiation between Waterloo College , Waterloo College Associated Faculties , and St . Jerome ' s College , another denominational college in the City of Waterloo . While the agreements sought to safeguard the existence of the two denominational colleges , they also aimed at federating them with the newly established University of Waterloo . Due to disagreements with Waterloo College , the College was not formally federated with the new university . The dispute centred around a controversially worded section of the " University of Waterloo Act , 1959 " , in which the College interpreted certain sections as a guarantee that it would become the Faculty of Art for the new university . This was something that the Associated Faculties was not prepared to accept . As a result of the controversy , Waterloo College ' s entire Department of Mathematics broke away from the College to join the newly established University of Waterloo , later joined by professors from the Economic , German , Modern Languages , and Russian departments . Despite this controversy , until 1960 Hagey hoped that a last minute compromise between Waterloo College and the University could be achieved . Ultimately , however , the University created its own Faculty of Arts in 1960 . It later established the first Faculty of Mathematics in North America on 1 January 1967 . In 1967 the world ' s first Department of Kinesiology was created . The present legislative act which defines how the university should be governed , the " University of Waterloo Act , 1972 " was passed on 10 May 1972 . In 2001 , the university announced that it would develop the Waterloo Research and Technology Park in the north campus . The park was planned to house many of the high - tech industries in the area , and is supported by the university , the Regional Municipality of Waterloo , the provincial and federal governments , and Canada ' s Technology Triangle . The aim was to provide businesses with access to the university ' s faculty , co - operative education students , and alumni , as well as the university ' s infrastructure and resources . Groundbreaking was on 25 June 2002 , with the first completed building , the Sybase campus building , opening on 26 November 2004 . In 2010 , the Waterloo Research and Tech Park was renamed as the David Johnston Research and Technology Park , after David Johnston , the 28th Governor General of Canada and former president of the university . From 2009 to 2012 , the university managed four undergraduate programs in Dubai . The university worked in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology , the largest post - secondary institution in the United Arab Emirates . Discussions regarding the partnership emerged in 2004 , and the Dubai campus was officially opened in September 2009 . Through the partnership , the university offered undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering , civil engineering , financial analysis and risk management , and information technology management . The programs offered in Dubai took place in facilities provided by the Higher Colleges of Technology . On 30 October 2012 , the university ' s Board of Governors decided to close the university ' s extension in Dubai . Campus . The university ' s main campus lies within the city of Waterloo , Ontario . It is bordered by Waterloo Park to the south , Wilfrid Laurier University to the southeast , residential neighbourhoods to the northeast , east and west , and the Laurel Creek Conservation Area to the northwest . Three numbered roads also intersect the main campus : University Avenue West , Columbia Street West , and Westmount Road North . While the main campus is , the majority of the teaching facilities are centred around a ring road in its southern portion . In addition , the university owns several other properties in Cambridge , Huntsville , Kitchener , and Stratford , Ontario . The buildings vary in age . The oldest is Graduate House , originally a farmhouse dating back to the 19th century . The oldest building which was erected for the university is the Douglas Wright Engineering Building , which was erected in 1958 . A large majority of the university ' s buildings , and its ring road , were constructed during the 1960s . The university ' s main campus is divided into three major areas : South Campus , North Campus and Northwest Campus . South Campus is the academic core of the university , while North Campus holds the Research and Technology Park . Northwest Campus is the least developed area of the main campus , made up primarily of farm fields and an environmental reserve , which divides it from North Campus . Libraries and museums . The university has four libraries housing more than 1 . 4 million books , as well as electronic resources including e - books , serial titles and databases . Three of the libraries are located on campus : the Dana Porter Library , housing material relating to arts , humanities and social science , the Davis Centre Library , housing material for engineering , mathematics and science , and the Witer Learning Resource Centre , housing material for the School of Optometry and Vision Science . The fourth library , the Musagetes Architecture Library , is located in Cambridge , alongside the university ' s School of Architecture . The libraries of the university ' s affiliated colleges are also considered a part of the university ' s library system . The university ' s library system is also a member of the TriUniversity Group ( TUG ) , a partnership between the University of Guelph , University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University . The group provides students and researchers at all three universities with access to all of the collections and services . The group also operates the TUG Annex , a repository for less - used library resources from the three universities . Waterloo University also operates the Earth Sciences Museum , located on campus in the Centre for Environmental Information Technology . It is mainly used as an earth - science teaching museum for local schools and natural - science interest groups in southern Ontario . The main exhibits cover the Great Lakes , rocks and minerals , dinosaurs and ice age mammals . The museum ' s dinosaur exhibit includes a complete cast of an Albertosaurus . The museum also houses an interactive , simulation mining tunnel which aims to teach sustainable mining practices . Also owned and operated by the university is the Museum of Vision Science , which is located at the university ' s School of Optometry building . The university had previously operated the Elliott Avedon Museum and Archive of Games , created by the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and previously managed by the university ' s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences . Due to a lack of specific academic interest , in 2009 the decision was made to close the Museum and transfer the collection elsewhere . Housing and student facilities . The university has seven student residences : the Minota Hagey Residence , UW Place , Ron Eydt Village , Village 1 , Mackenzie King Village , Columbia Lake North and South . Students are also allowed to apply to the residences of the university ' s affiliated colleges . The largest residential village at the university is UW Place , which houses 1 , 300 first - year students and 350 upper - year students , while the smallest residence is the Minota Hagey Residence , which houses 70 students and is almost exclusively for upper - year students . The newest residence at the university is the Mackenzie King Village , which was constructed in 2002 , and houses approximately 320 residents . In September 2010 , 24 . 9 percent of the undergraduate population lived on campus , including 71 . 1 percent of first - year students . Residents are represented by two residential councils at the university , one representing the students at UW Place , and the other representing all the other residential villages . Each council organises their own events and has their own executive , budget and meetings . However , the overall mission of both councils is to act as the official representatives for all residents living at the university ' s residences . The Student Life Centre is the centre of student governance and student directed social , cultural , entertainment and recreational activities , open seven days a week , year - round . The Student Life Centre contains the offices of a number of student organizations , including the Federation of Students , Residence Council , a number of retail and food services and a variety of club space and study rooms . The idea for a student centre emerged during the 1960s , and to raise the necessary funds for the building students began to levy a $ 10 fee . Construction began in July 1966 and was completed in 1968 . Tensions between the university and the student community surfaced over the management and ownership of the Student Life Centre . The conflict was not resolved until 1969 , when Professor Johnson resigned his position as chairman of the Campus Centre Board , along with his colleague Pim Fitzgerald . Off - campus facilities . The university has three satellite campuses , and a number of other facilities located throughout Southern Ontario . The closest off - campus facilities are adjacent to the campus , with the university acquiring land and five buildings from BlackBerry Ltd on December 2013 . The university expects to use three of the buildings starting in February 2014 , and will lease the other two to BlackBerry Ltd . The Centre for Extended Learning is a facility owned and managed by the university and is located in Kitchener , Ontario . It provides pre - university courses , part - time studies , online learning and professional development courses . Another facility which is owned and managed by the university is the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment , located in Huntsville , Ontario . It is a year - round research and teaching centre , which regularly hosts post - secondary student field courses and professional development programs , and also serves as a university outreach facility for the whole region . Located close to Algonquin and Arrowhead Provincial Park , the centre ' s facilities are used for research in ecological restoration and conservation . It also hosts an ecological research facility , including a wet laboratory . The university ' s School of Architecture uses a campus in Cambridge , Ontario , on the west bank of the Grand River . The architecture campus was the idea of the Cambridge Consortium , a group of Cambridge business owners , who spearheaded the school ' s fundraising drive to cover a portion of the $ 27 million cost of creating the new campus . The school , along with its faculty and students , was moved to the new campus in September 2004 . Since 1979 , the School of Architecture also operated an architecture studio in Rome , Italy in the neighbourhood of Trastevere . The opportunity to work at the Trastevere studio is offered to fourth - year architecture students . Another satellite campus of the university is the Health Science and Pharmacy Campus , located in Kitchener , Ontario . The pharmacy building was designed by Siamak Hariri , and was completed in December 2008 . While the School of Pharmacy acts as the anchor institution of this campus , students and faculty of the university ' s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences also use the facilities . The campus includes a primary care teaching clinic which will integrate clinical care and teaching in pharmacy and optometry . Two other universities also make use of the Health Science and Pharmacy campus . McMaster University ' s medical school makes use of the campus as its base for its Waterloo Regional Campus , with 56 of the medical school ' s students admitted at the regional campus in 2012 . Wilfrid Laurier University ' s School of Social Work also uses some of the facilities available on the campus . The university ' s third satellite campus , the Stratford Campus , is located in Stratford , Ontario . The focus for the Stratford campus is on education in digital arts and media . The idea for the Stratford campus first took shape when the City of Stratford and the university signed a memorandum in October 2006 . It officially opened in September 2010 . In November 2009 , the university also signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Western Ontario regarding academic initiatives at the Stratford Campus . The campus also hosted the first four Canada 3 . 0 forums , before its move to Toronto in 2012 . Sustainability . Sustainability initiatives are divided between several departmental offices at the university , with the university ' s plant operations charged with their implementation . Prior to 2005 , the management of sustainability efforts was conducted by the university ' s waste management coordinator . The university ' s sustainability initiatives are solely institution - specific , as it has not signed any national or international sustainability declaration . However , the university , along with the other members from the Council of Ontario Universities , signed a pledge in 2009 known as " Ontario Universities Committed to a Greener World " , with the objective of transforming its campus into a model of environmental responsibility . The university ' s School of Environment , Enterprise and Development ( SEED ) placed first in Canada in the Corporate Knights 2011 ranking for undergraduate business programs incorporating sustainability . The university campus received a C + grade from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card for 2011 . Administration . The university operates under a bicameral system consisting of a Board of Governors and a Senate , as legislated by the University of Waterloo Act , 1972 . The Board of Governors has responsibility for the university ' s properties , affairs , and income . The University of Waterloo Act calls for only 36 members , each of whom must hold Canadian citizenship . However , the number of members in the Board for the 2013 – 2014 academic year is 40 . The Board has five ex officio members including the university ' s chancellor and president , and the mayors of Kitchener and Waterloo . The other 32 members of the Board are either elected or appointed by the various members of the university community , including alumni , faculty and the student body . The Senate is responsible for establishing the educational policies of the university as well as making recommendations to the Board of Governors in the management of the institution . The Senate has 24 ex officio positions including the president and chancellor of the university , the vice - presidents , the senior dean of each faculty , the presidents of the undergraduate , graduate and faculty associations , and the presidents and principals of the university ' s associated colleges . The Senate ' s 61 other members are appointed or elected by various communities of the university including the faculty of the university , its associated colleges , the student body , and alumni . The principal , appointed by the Board of Governors , acts as the chief executive officer of the university with the approval of the Senate , is responsible for administering the affairs of the university , and acts on behalf of the Board with respect to the operational management and control of the university . The president is the chair of the Senate and a member of the Board . The president also holds the position of vice - chancellor , assuming the duties of the chancellor during his absences or a temporary vacancy in the office . The chancellor is elected by the members of the Senate for a term of three years , although eligible for renewal . The primary duty of the chancellor is to preside at all Convocations and present candidates for honorary degrees to the Senate . The office of the chancellor is held by Prem Watsa , who took over the position in 2009 . The next chancellor to succeed Prem Watsa is Tom Jenkins , who begins his term May 1 , 2015 In March 2011 , Feridun Hamdullahpur was announced as the sixth president of the university , having been interim president since October 2010 . Affiliated institutions . The university also operates three affiliated colleges and a federated university . Conrad Grebel University College is a Mennonite university college that was chartered in 1961 and is religiously affiliated with the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada . Renison University College is an Anglican university college chartered in 1959 ; it entered an affiliation with the University of Waterloo in 1960 . Renison is religiously affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada . St . Jerome ' s University is a Roman Catholic university which was founded in 1865 . St . Jerome ' s entered into a federation with the University of Waterloo shortly after the provincial government granted it university status in 1959 . St . Paul ' s University College is a university college founded by members of the United Church of Canada in 1962 . However , St . Paul ' s now operates independently from the United Church , without any formal or legal relationship . The three colleges and federated university are all located within the University of Waterloo ' s main campus and operate their own residences . Students of these affiliated colleges and federated university are also academically integrated with the University of Waterloo . Students who study at any of them are also considered registered students of the University of Waterloo . In addition to the classes offered at these colleges , federated university students also have the option to enrol in classes , apply to any of the faculties , and graduate as a student from the University of Waterloo . Regardless of the affiliated colleges and federated university ' s religious affiliations , enrolment is not restricted based on the student ' s religious beliefs . Finances . The university completed the 2010 – 2011 academic year with revenues of $ 824 . 684 million and expenses of $ 763 . 129 million , yielding a surplus of $ 61 . 555 million . Grants and contracts make up the largest source of revenue for the university , followed by academic fees . Salaries make up nearly half of the university ' s expenses . As of 30 April 2012 , the university ' s endowment is valued at $ 261 . 428 million . The university has been registered as an educational charitable organization by the Canada Revenue Agency since 1 January 1967 . As of 2011 , the entire emphasis of the charity is placed on the management and maintenance of the university . Academics . Waterloo is a publicly funded research university , and a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada . It functions on a term - based system , with fall , winter and spring terms . Undergraduate programs comprise the majority of the school ' s enrolment , made up of 24 , 377 full - time and part - time undergraduate students . The university conferred 5 , 041 bachelor degrees , 267 doctoral degrees , 1 , 275 master degrees , and 192 first professional degrees in 2012 - 2013 . Financial aid available to students includes the Ontario Student Assistance Program and Canada Student Loans and Grants through the federal and provincial governments . The financial aid provided may come in the form of loans , grants , bursaries , scholarships , fellowships , debt reduction , interest relief , and work programs . Reputation . Waterloo has consistently been ranked as one of the top ten universities in Canada . According to the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities ( ARWU ) , the university ranked 151 - 200 in the world and seventh in Canada . The 2012 – 2013 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Waterloo 226 - 250 in the world . The 2013 QS World University Rankings ranked the university 180th in the world . In terms of national rankings , Maclean ' s ranked Waterloo third in their 2011 comprehensive university rankings . In an employability survey published by the " New York Times " in October 2011 , when CEOs and chairmans were asked to select the top universities which they recruited from , Waterloo placed 106th in the world , and sixth in Canada . In the field of statistics and operational research , the university was ranked 32nd in the world , and first in Canada , by the QS World University Rankings . The same rankings also placed the university 29th in the world , and second in Canada in the field of mathematics . In 2014 , it moved up five places to 24th in QS World University Rankings . Waterloo ' s engineering program has consistently been ranked in the top 100 universities . The 2013 ARWU rankings for the field of engineering , technology and computer sciences , ranked the university 43rd in the world and second in Canada . In the 2012 rankings of the top engineering schools in the world by Business Insider , the university ranked 29th in the world , and first in Canada . For the field of technology and engineering , the 2013 – 2014 Times Higher Education listings ranked the university 67th in the world , and fourth in Canada . The 2013 QS rankings listed the university ' s engineering faculty 46th in the world , and second in Canada . In computer science and information systems , the 2014 QS World University Rankings placed the university 24th in the world , and second in Canada . Research . The university operates and manages 41 research centres and institutes , including the Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research , the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology , the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing and the Institute for Quantum Computing . Official recognition and designation of all centres and institutes requires the approval of the university ' s Senate . In Research Infosource ' s 2013 ranking of Canada ' s 50 top research universities based off sponsored research income , Waterloo placed 17th in Canada , with a sponsored research income of $ 137 . 006 million , averaging $ 131 , 600 per faculty member . In the 2011 University Ranking by Academic Performance ( URAP ) , which rates universities based off their research performance , Waterloo was ranked 185th in the world and tenth in Canada . Waterloo ' s research in the field of engineering has also received a number of accolades . In the 2011 URAP rankings , Waterloo ' s research performance in the field of engineering was ranked 43rd in the world , and second in Canada . In the 2011 HEEACT rankings , Waterloo ' s research performance in the field of engineering was ranked 74th in the world , and second in Canada . Admission . The requirements for admission differ between students from Ontario , students from other provinces in Canada , and international students , due to the lack of uniformity in marking schemes . For students applying from an Ontario secondary school , the university ' s admissions office states an average of at least 79 percent is required for minimum consideration . A higher average is suggested for admission to programs where demand for seats from qualified applicants exceeds the number of places available . The actual minimum averages required for these programs are determined each year based on the number and qualification of applicants and the number of available spaces . The secondary school average for full - time , first year students for the 2011 – 2012 academic year was 87 . 7 percent . The program with the highest admission average during that year was mathematics , with an admission average of 90 . 6 percent . The retention rate of the university ' s first - time , full - time first year students in 2009 was 89 . 4 percent . Student life . The university ' s two main student unions are the Federation of Students for all undergraduate students , and the Graduate Student Association for graduate students . The Federation of Students was created in 1967 . It operates seven businesses and eight student services , and encompasses nearly 200 clubs . The federation also oversees the university ' s Orientation Week , Welcome Week and other special events and concerts held on campus . The organisations and clubs accredited by the Federation of Students cover a wide range of interests including academics , culture , religion , social issues , and recreation . Many of them are centred on the university ' s student activity centre , the Student Life Centre . As of June 2007 , neither the university administration nor the student union recognise fraternities and sororities . Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Chi operate as non - accredited off - campus fraternities , and Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Kappa Gamma as non - accredited off - campus sororities . The official student newspaper at the university is the " Imprint " , which publishes a weekly edition during the fall and winter semesters and a biweekly edition for the spring and summer semesters . " The Chevron " was previously the official student newspaper . What was perceived as an increasingly left - wing agenda lead to the removal of its official status , by referendum , in November 1978 . The university ' s Journalism Club , made up of former staff from " The Chevron " along with other students , created another newspaper known as the " Imprint " , which was officially recognised by referendum in 1979 . The university also operated a campus radio station , CKMS - FM , now known as SoundFM . The radio station was officially incorporated in 1977 but following several referenda , in 2008 the Federation of Students and the University withdrew all financial support for the station . Athletics . The university ' s sports teams are known as the Waterloo Warriors . They participate in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ' s Ontario University Athletics conference for most varsity sports . Varsity teams include badminton , baseball , basketball , cross country , curling , field hockey , figure skating , Canadian football , golf , hockey , Nordic skiing , rugby , soccer , squash , swimming , track and field , tennis and volleyball . The athletics program at the university dates back to 1957 , when students of Waterloo College Associate Faculties participated in the sports program of Waterloo College ( present - day Wilfrid Laurier University ) . The university had its own independent team when the Associate Faculties officially became the University of Waterloo . The university ' s varsity teams and the university ' s recreational sports programs are operated and managed by the Department of Athletics and Recreational Activity . The university has a number of athletic facilities open to the varsity teams and to the other students . The stadium with the largest seating capacity at the university is Warrior Field . The field is home to the varsity field hockey and football teams , and hosts the university ' s recreational flag football and soccer activities . It has a seating capacity of 5 , 400 . Other facilities include the Physical Activity Complex , which houses two gymnasiums , beach volleyball courts , squash rooms , and a swimming pool , and is also home to the university ' s varsity badminton , basketball , squash , swimming and volleyball teams . The Columbia Ice Field was constructed in 1983 and houses the university ' s hockey team home rink , with a seating capacity of 700 . The Ice Field has been expanded twice , in 1990 and 2003 , and now includes three gyms and a number of fitness centres . Including the football field , the university manages seven outdoor playing fields , with Fields 1 and 2 reserved for the varsity soccer and rugby teams . The rest of the fields are used by the university ' s recreational sports programs . Insignias and other representations . Coat of Arms . The university ' s coat of arms was first used by the university in October 1961 , but was only officially granted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in August 1987 . It was not registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority until 15 February 2001 . Four variations of the coat of arms existed . The first was used from 1961 to 1996 , when the second bright - yellow shield using slightly different shaped lions was introduced . The yellow background was dulled in 2000 , and finally , the original lions were reintroduced in 2010 in conjunction with the attempt to replace the use of the coat of arms with a futuristic " W " logo . The new logo was eventually rejected after student opposition . The red - on - gold lions on the university ' s arms were adopted from those of Arthur Wellesley , 1st Duke of Wellington , who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo . The City of Waterloo was named after an area just south of Brussels , Belgium , where the battle occurred . The chevron on the arms was taken from the arms of Herbert Kitchener , 1st Earl Kitchener , Field Marshal with the British Army during World War I . The black and white pattern used on the chevron was based on the colours of Prussia , as homage to the German heritage of the area . The City of Kitchener was originally known as Berlin , but was renamed after Earl Kitchener in 1916 during World War I . Motto and songs . The university ' s Latin motto is " Concordia cum veritate " , translated as " In Harmony with Truth " . It was introduced along with the university coat of arms in October 1961 . A number of songs are commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement , convocation , and athletic contests . The main song of the university is known as the " Black and White and Gold " . The words were written by K . D . Fryer and H . F . Davis , while the music was composed by Alfred Kunz . Notable alumni and faculty . Over 163 , 000 people have graduated from the university , and now reside in over 140 countries . Waterloo graduates have accumulated a number of awards , such as George Elliott Clarke , recipient of the Governor General ' s Award ; William Reeves , recipient of an Academy Award , and a number of Rhodes Scholarships . Robert Mundell , the recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences , also served as the chairman of the university ' s economics department . A number of business leaders have worked or studied at Waterloo . Examples include John Baker , founder of Desire2Learn , David Cheriton , co - founder and chief scientist of Arista Networks , Mike Lazaridis , co - founder and former co - CEO of Research in Motion ( now BlackBerry Ltd ) , Prem Watsa , chairman of Fairfax Financial and the current chancellor of the university , Steven Woods , co - founder of NeoEdge Networks and Quack . com and co - founders of Waterloo Maple , Keith Geddes and Gaston Gonnet . Gonnet was also the co - founder of Open Text Corporation . Several faculty members and students have also gained local and national prominence in government . David Johnston , the former president of Waterloo , currently serves as the Governor General of Canada . A number of the university ' s faculty and students have also gained prominence in the field of computing sciences . Examples include QNX operating systems co - creators Gordon Bell and Dan Dodge , Rasmus Lerdorf , the creator of the PHP scripting language , Peter Buhr , the creator of the μC + + programming language , Gordon Cormack , the co - creator of the Dynamic Markov compression algorithm , Ric Holt , co - creator of several programming languages , most notably Turing , and Jack Edmonds , a computer scientist , and developer of the Blossom algorithm , and the Edmonds ' algorithm .