School of Engineering - University of Waikato

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

Aimed at facilitators, teachers, educators and engineering professionals we are hosting an event on 17th June 2026 in conjunction with Fletchers Construction, Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), Engineering New Zealand, Bridge Engineering Technical Society (BETS), Brian Perry Civil, Civil Contractors New Zealand and Higgins.

Bridges to Schools is a free, hands‑on STEM programme that introduces children to the basics of engineering. Through guided activities, students work together to assemble a child‑sized cable‑stayed bridge at their school—sparking curiosity, confidence, and interest in civil engineering and STEM careers.

Join us at this workshop to learn how you can book and facilitate a Bridges to Schools session at your local school. You’ll hear from the partners who make this free programme possible and from engineering professionals who have built rewarding careers in STEM.

Whether you’re passionate about education, engineering, or giving back to your community, this is a simple and rewarding way to make a difference.

PLEASE NOTE that this event is not meant for school-aged children. If you are interested in organising a Bridges to Schools session please visit www.fletcherconstruction.co.nz/bts.

REGISTER TO ATTEND AT: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/bridges-to-schools-help-shape-bright-futures/hamilton

18/05/2026

Our second year Thermodynamics students had the opportunity to visit the Tauhara Geothermal Power Station to connect the theories they've been learning to real world applications.

30/04/2026

Keegan Hall, one of our PhD Graduates, has been doing great work helping to protect our sportsmen's.... assets. ;)

Hit the link to see more!

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/news/waikato-grad-protects-crickets-most-sensitive-spot/

29/04/2026

Balasubramanian Elankumaran, one of our Engineering PhD students, will be heading back to Hamilton soon after successfully completing physical shake table testing with his model tank at UC.

The tank was funded by QuakeCORE and Bala by the NZ Society for Earthquake Engineering scholarship for this testing. Bala was also awarded the judges’ winner of the NZGS Young Geotechnical Professionals Waikato-Bay of Plenty meeting last year, the funding from which he has been able to use towards the consumables for this testing.

His work examines how pumiceous sand behaves during earthquakes and how ground improvement methods like gravel drains wrapped with geotextiles can help to reduce the effects of liquefaction. To better understand this, physical shake table experiments have been carried out at UC to simulate a gravel drain installed within plain sands and pumiceous sands. The soil response was monitored during a sequence of simulated earthquake motions comparable to those that could be felt in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty areas.

15/04/2026

Feeling very proud today as we watch our BE(Hons), ME, MEngPrac and PhD students graduate. We might not see you today (and you might not see us) but please know we are watching you walk across that stage and feeling immensely happy and proud knowing how hard you have all worked.

26/02/2026

Register now to attend a public lecture by our very own Professor Melanie Po-Leen Ooi on the 10th March 5:30-6:30pm at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts.

**Next Generation Vision Measurement Systems**
Can AI control light to improve what it sees? Discover how frontend machine learning may lead to a physical AI vision-based measurement.

Melanie is one of our most dynamic and engaging academics - this is guaranteed to be both informative and entertaining!
Click the link below to register.

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/events/find-event/professorial-public-lecture-by-professor-melanie-ooi/

13/02/2026

We are celebrating Lia Tupaea, one of our BE(Hons) Mechanical Students!

Lia was Highly Commended at the University Summer Research Scholarship event last night!

It's always a joy to see our students achieving great things. A big congratulations to Lia!

01/02/2026

A huge Congratulations to our PhD researcher Gerasimos Christoforatos, who received the Best Presentation Award – Students’ Choice at the 12th Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) Conference in Melbourne this November.

His presentation, “A dual-functional unit LCA framework towards absolute impact reductions: the case of residential buildings,” proposed a more comprehensive approach to assessing building sustainability by considering both construction efficiency and accommodation sufficiency — supporting pathways toward truly sustainable housing.

Nice work, Gerasimos! We're so proud of you and your work.

18/12/2025

Our PhD student, Brayden Whitton, won the Australasian Pulp and Paper Technical Association (APPITA) New Speaker Competition in Rotorua on the 4th of December.

His presentation was on the topic of his PhD which aims to greater understand and improve the processability of cellulose foams, which are a biodegradable packaging alternative to expanded polystyrene.

Brayden will go to Melbourne, Australia, to compete in the final of the competition in March as part of the annual APPITA conference proceedings.

Congratulations on this achievement Brayden, and we wish you all success in Melbourne!