University of Waterloo researchers, staff and students have a strong tradition of working together to effectively address local and global challenges. Several outstanding members of the Waterloo community have been recognized for those efforts with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Created to commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on May 6, 2023, medals are granted to 30,000 individuals across the country who have made a significant contribution to Canada or a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.
Individuals must be nominated by an appointed partner, which includes provincial lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners, provincial and territorial governments, members of Parliament, senators and organizations, including Universities Canada.
Congratulations to the recipients from the University of Waterloo who have been recognized for creating lasting, impactful change in their communities:
Dr. Vivek Goel
President and Vice-Chancellor
Through his three decades of leadership at two world-renowned universities and several public health agencies, Dr. Vivek Goel has shaped the past, present and future of public health in Canada and beyond.
His contributions to the education, health and public service sectors have helped millions of Canadians improve their lives. As a leader and innovator, he has served his country and played a significant role in advancing post-secondary education, public health services, evidence-based health care and research innovation.
Goel is a member of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, and the 2023 recipient of the Canadian Health Leadership Network's McNaught-Taillon Leadership.
Dr. Blair Feltmate
Faculty of Environment
As co-founder and head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, Dr. Blair Feltmate has developed and deployed practical solutions to limit the impacts of extreme weather on homes, communities and businesses across Canada.
Prior to his focus on adaptation to climate change, he spent nearly 20 years operationalizing sustainable development (now referred to as ESG) within Canada's public and private sectors.
Feltmate serves on the Sustainable Finance Advisory Committee and Research Advisory Council, Global Risk Institute. He is the Intact Centre's representative on Climate Proof Canada (Insurance Bureau of Canada) and is on the National Advisory Board of Canada's Forest Trust. He has sat on the Climate Advisory Panel, Minister of Environment (Ontario) and was chair of the Federal Government of Canada Expert Panel on Climate Adaptation. He has also held senior roles at the Bank of Montreal and Ontario Power Generation.
Dr. Geoffrey T. Fong
Faculty of Arts cross-appointed with the Faculty of Health
Dr. Geoffrey T. Fong is a world-leading public health researcher who in 2002 founded the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Project which has conducted studies in 31 countries to evaluate policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the global tobacco control treaty.
Fong is the world's most productive tobacco researcher, with more than 580 scientific articles. Through his innovative research evaluating policy impact, including equity and environmental impacts, his tireless efforts to communicate ITC findings to governments and international health organizations have strengthened policies to reduce tobacco use globally.
Fong has received more than 20 awards and honours, including the Governor General's Innovation Award, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Fong will be inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in June.
Myeengun Henry
Faculty of Health
Elder Myeengun Henry joined the University of Waterloo in 2022 as Indigenous Knowledge Keeper in the Faculty of Health. He is a member of the UW Indigenous Advisory Circle, which advises the Office of Indigenous Relations on Indigenization and decolonization.
He has led many initiatives on campus that contribute to our knowledge of Indigenous ways of learning and practice. He is former elected chief and band councillor for the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and was previously manager of Indigenous services and educator of Indigenous studies at Conestoga College.
Elder Henry is also an Indigenous advisor to the Ontario Provincial Police and Law Society of Ontario, and a traditional medicine practitioner, environmental protectionist, Indigenous counsellor, Pow Wow coordinator and Indigenous ceremony conductor throughout the U.S. and Canada. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Waterloo in 2024.
Dr. Philippe Van Cappellen
Faculty of Science
Dr. Philippe Van Cappellen, is a Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate in Ecohydrology and produces the scientific knowledge base and decision-support tools required to address the complex sustainability challenges facing Canada's freshwater security.
He delivers integrated approaches to forecast future changes in water quality, deploy novel environmental sensors and indicators, assess the social and economic benefits of freshwater ecosystems and map out the climate vulnerability of Canada's freshwater resources.
Van Cappellen's impact is demonstrated by his prolific scientific output and by the mobilization of his research to guide contaminated site clean-up strategies, develop nature-inspired environmental mitigation practices and climate-proof critical water assets. He has received numerous awards and been named a Fellow by the Royal Society of Canada, the American Geophysical Union and the European Association of Geochemistry.
