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Antimicrobial resistance ranks among the top ten global public health threats, according to the World Health Organization. Last week, landmarks across Canada were illuminated in blue to mark the end of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). On November 24th, the City of Kitchener’s Carl Zehr Square joined the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ School of Pharmacy in the Go Blue for WAAW illumination program.

The Faculty of Science is proud to congratulate Benjamin MacLellan, a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and IQC at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, for being selected as a Vanier Scholar this year.

The latest episode of Beyond the Bulletin features Dr. Rebecca Rooney, a wetland ecologist and professor in the Department of Biology. She discusses the value of wetlands, the actions she’s taking to help protect them and Bill 23.  

The Government of Canada's Environmental Damages Fund, administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada, is allocating $15.8 million to six University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ research projects to identify solutions to environmental challenges. Two of the projects are led by À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ scientists - biologist Dr. Laura Hug and earth scientist Dr. Nandita Basu.

À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland received top honours from Canada and France last week in Ottawa for her contributions to science. She was appointed the Companion of the Order of Canada medal and named a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

For the first time in experimental history, scientists have created a device that recreates the properties of light using neutrons. This breakthrough  provides a brand new avenue for researchers to study the development of next-generation quantum materials with applications ranging from quantum computing to identifying and solving new problems in fundamental physics.

Recent studies in Canada have suggested that approximately 20 per cent of children aged 3 to 6 years have visual problems, such as amblyopia or clinically significant refractive errors. To ensure children have optimal vision for learning, the School of Optometry & Vision Science is partnering with The Cowan Foundation and the Lions Club of Canada. Together, they will develop a coordinated vision plan for the Region of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Public Health to screen every child in senior kindergarten (SK).

At the forefront of condensed matter physics, materials with novel quantum mechanical properties are being investigated for fundamental science and potential applications in quantum technology. Quantum chemist Dr. Adam Wei Tsen and his team are diving into this field with a particular focus on two-dimensional (2D) quantum materials. 

Each term, GreenHouse hosts the Social Impact Showcase to celebrate the amazing work on students in our community. Last week, thirteen teams pitched their ideas of social and environmental change and eight were awarded funding, including Science-led MycoNutrients and HUBour.

A team of physicists have found a new tunable pathway to manipulate nanoscale magnetic structures known as skyrmions. Their results advance efforts to access different configurations of these structures and increase their stability for magnetic memory applications, such as using these structures as new types of bits in classical or quantum computers.