Adjunct Professor Scott D. Ramsay of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) is this year’s recipient of the Wighton Fellowship from the Sandford Fleming Foundation at the University of Waterloo.
The Fellowship is a national award that recognizes excellence in the development and teaching of laboratory-based courses in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs.
Since 2004, Professor Ramsay has instructed MSE 101: Introduction to Materials Science & Engineering, a first-year core course taught across multiple programs at U of T Engineering. He has developed a range of creative in-lecture demonstrations, filmed lecture videos and delivered these course materials via social media channels. He also introduced six new laboratory activities and made substantial improvements to two existing learning exercises.
A notable example of his dedication to improving MSE 101 was the design of a ballistic pendulum experiment. In this exercise, a 0.22 calibre rifle encased behind a securely sealed chamber is fired through different metal samples to demonstrate a traditional materials engineering impact test. Launching the lab involved above-and-beyond efforts in the construction of multi-tier safety infrastructure, along with obtaining the required approvals from the Toronto Police, the Chief Firearms Officer of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as numerous levels of University administration.
“I am extremely gratified that Dr. Ramsay has been recognized for his work to make comprehensive improvements to laboratory teaching,” said Professor Jun Nogami, Chair of MSE. “As a Department, we feel that it is vitally important to provide hands-on experiences for first-year students across the Faculty. Scott’s work has greatly improved student engagement in our labs, and feedback indicates that students’ understanding of materials engineering concepts has also been enhanced.”
This is the second time that U of T Engineering has received the Wighton Fellowship. Senior Lecturer Paul Jowlabar of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry received the award in 2008 for teaching excellence.
