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.
 
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News

Photo of three co-founders posing against a red-brown brick wall with a large blue window. Left the co-founder is wearing a camo jacket with a muddy green shirt. The middle co-founder is wearing a black shirt and a brown leather jacket. The right co-founder is wearing a blue sweater
Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Alum Q&A: How landing in the ER led Kristy Gao to Y Combinator

A lot has happened to Kristy Gao (BCS ’22) since graduating from the University of Waterloo, nearly three years ago.

She moved to San Francisco for her first post-graduation job. Started a book club to make friends. Got into an accident, where she, a Canadian, had to navigate the complexities of the American healthcare system. Quit her job to launch a health-tech startup, Cenote, with two people she met from her book club. Applied to Y Combinator (YC), the world’s largest and most competitive startup accelerator. Got accepted by YC and received $500,000 USD in seed funding. 

We connected with our alum about her unique entrepreneurship journey, her passion for diversity, equity and inclusive (DEI) initiatives, and her words to her younger self. 

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Peter Forsyth in the Davis Centre
Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Peter Forsyth and colleagues receive Chris Daykin prize for best pension paper

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Peter Forsyth from the Cheriton School of Computer Science, Professor Emeritus Ken Vetzal from the School of Accounting and Finance, and Graham Westmacott, a portfolio manager at Richardson Wealth Limited, have been awarded the 2024 Chris Daykin Prize by the International Actuarial Association.

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Events