Bill Rosehart’s official installation ceremony as UW’s eighth president and vice-chancellor took place on Thursday, Oct. 22 in the Pearl Sullivan Engineering building (PSE, formerly known as E7).

Among those in attendance were president emeritus Vivek Goel, as well as senior leaders from UW and other post-secondary institutions. Student leaders from WUSA and GSA, community representatives, and elected officials from KW were also present. Over 500 attendees watched the livestream of the ceremony online.

From left to right: University Secretary Genevieve Gauthier-Chalifour, Board of Governors Chair Murray Gamble, President and Vice-Chancellor Bill Rosehart, Chancellor Jagdeep Singh Bachher, and Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Elder Myeengun Henry. (Photo credit: Creative Studio, University of Waterloo)

The ceremony began with a procession led by Indigenous singers, followed by opening remarks by Murray Gamble, chair of the board of governors. Elder Myeegun Henry, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, performed a smudging ceremony and presented Rosehart with a medallion of an eagle, the highest flying bird and a symbol of leadership to the Indigenous community.

Speeches were delivered by Jagdeep Singh Bachher, chancellor of UW, and Tony Vannelli, a longtime colleague and friend of Rosehart’s. Following that, university secretary Genevieve Gauthier-Chalifour officially installed Rosehart as president and vice-chancellor.

(Photo credit: Creative Studio, University of Waterloo)

Rosehart began his presidential installation address with an anecdote from his time as a sessional instructor trying to make electrical circuits fun, tying it to his belief in “having people at the centre, and building a place where people feel safe to try, to be bold, to do things differently, and yes, to challenge the person in charge.”

Rosehart is the first alumnus to be elected president, having obtained his BASc in 1996, MASc in 1997, and PhD in 2001 in electrical engineering from UW. “I lived in St. Paul’s, which is now United College. I did co-op. I lifeguarded at the university pool, and I helped design and build an aerial vehicle as part of a student team. And occasionally, I went to the Bombshelter [Bomber] on Wednesday nights,” he reminisced.

He praised UW’s entrepreneurial spirit, defined by stories of several accomplished alumni and an offhand remark he overheard from a student, “‘I obviously want to have a startup in the future.’ Obviously. Not ‘I hope to.’ Not ‘Maybe one day.’ Obviously. That one word is Waterloo.”

Rosehart began his five year term on July 1, 2026. Looking ahead, he concluded, “Let’s build what comes next. And let’s do it the way we always have: Boldly, together, and [having] some fun along the way.”