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Prof. Pierre G. Lafleur
Chief Academic And International Officer, École Polytechnique de Montréal
Leadership in engineering education
June 18, 2013, 08:40 – 09:00
Venue: Pavillon MacKay-Lassonde, Ecole Polytechnique Room M-1010
Prof. Tom Brzustowski, University of Waterloo
Identifying design explicitly as a key element of innovation and what might follow from that
June 18, 2013, 09:00 – 10:00
Venue: Pavillon MacKay-Lassonde, Ecole Polytechnique Room M-1010
Prof. Suzanne Kresta, University of Alberta
Innovation and Reliability in the design process: A both/and possibility
June 19, 2013, 08:30 – 09:30
Venue: Pavillon MacKay-Lassonde, Ecole Polytechnique Room M-1010
Bio
Suzanne Kresta is co-editor of the Handbook of Industrial Mixing and a Professor at the University of Alberta. She has won numerous awards both for her technical work and for her leadership in education: most recently the Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education (2011) from the University of Alberta, the North American Mixing Forum Award for Excellence and Sustained Contributions to Mixing Science and Practice (2004), and the Academic Women’s Association Woman of the Year Award (2012). In a recent list of the 21
Most Influential Contributions to Mixing Research (2011), 2 of her publications were identified. She is also an Iron Ring Warden and a member of APEGA Council.
She credits much of her success to early mentoring from two 3M Fellows, Phil Wood and Don Woods, and to Alan Blizzard, Dale Roy, and Bente Roed, all nationally recognized faculty developers. She has continued their legacy at the University of Alberta with the (New) Faculty Forums, a series of professional development workshops which have been so popular that they have now expanded to the whole faculty – not just new professors. Her interests in education are focussed on student learning in the design process and she currently teaches both mass and energy balances and the first of two senior design courses.
Innovation and Rigor in the Design Process: A Both/And Possibility
Engineering Professors in general, and Design Professors in the particular, face a difficult moral dilemma. We have a responsibility to teach students to a very high standard of rigor, critical thinking, and analysis – but the great joy of engineering is finding a creative solution that makes a difference in people’s lives. The perpetual dilemma is finding a balance between these two conflicting values and goals. In this talk I propose a both/and perspective which embraces the diversity of the roles we play: educator and evaluator; critic and catalyst; expert and learner.
The animosity which sometimes polarizes professors as we struggle with these dichotomies can be turned around to amplify and reinforce both values in a solution which balances our teaching and learning. Successful strategies which build affective domain strengths related to innovation and deep understanding of core concepts will be presented with their twin teaching strategies, those which build the cognitive domain strength needed for rigor and accuracy in solutions.
Lorne Trottier, Co-founder of Matrox
The Role of Engineering Education in Building a Sustainable Future
June 20, 2013, 08:30 – 09:30
Room M-1010
Chair: Michel Perrier
Lorne Trottier: Engineer, Businessman, Philanthropist, Co-founder of Matrox
Abstract
Climate change, exhaustion of limited resources and environmental damage are key problems facing society. In simple terms, clean energy and sustainable practices are the answer. What role can engineering education play in developing solutions, informing the public and policy makers about these complex issues , and moving the agenda towards action?
BioSketch
Lorne Trottier is a co-founder of Matrox, a privately held company known for its innovative products in the domains of computer graphics, video, and imaging. Trottier holds a B. Eng. and M. Eng. degree from McGill University. Trottier was awarded a doctorate degree honoris causa by McGill in 2006, and by l’Université de Montréal on the recommendation of l’École Polytechnique in 2011 and the UOIT in 2013. He was awarded the Prix Lionel Boulet by the Gouvernement de Quebec in 2003, and was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007. He is President of the Board of the Montreal Science Center Foundation (Centre iSCi). Mr. Trottier is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Faculties of Science and Engineering of McGill University as well as a Governor Emeritus of the same university. He is also treasurer of the US based National Center for Science Education (NCSE). He has a wide range scientific interests ranging from astronomy and space exploration to climate change and sustainable development.
The Trottier Family Foundation was established in 2000. It has made philanthropic gifts in areas related to science education, health care, and aid to developing countries.