Derek Rayside

Derek Rayside is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and serves as Associate Dean for Co-operative Education and Professional Affairs. His research spans autonomous systems, software engineering, formal methods, and construction project management. He holds a faculty position in a top-tier engineering program with affiliations to both academic and administrative roles at the university.

Research interests include advancing autonomous vehicle decision-making through reinforcement learning and computer vision techniques, improving software development methodologies via formal verification and collaborative platforms, and enhancing project management practices in complex construction environments. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches combining control theory, machine learning, and social network analysis.

Recent publications focus on autonomous driving challenges (action recognition, intersection navigation), software engineering education (game-based learning), and formal methods for system validation. His contributions bridge theoretical advancements with practical applications in safety-critical systems and industrial workflows.

Teaching responsibilities include the ECE351 course on signals and systems. He has led curriculum development efforts and maintains a personal research website at the University of Waterloo's ECE department.