Mark Pritzker, recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, 2016

Chemical Engineering

Pritzker is the Teaching Champion for the Department of Chemical Engineering. Many nominators noted Pritzker’s natural ability to engage students, his organization of lectures, and his enthusiasm towards the course material – “it is impossible not to be impressed.” One undergraduate noted that “he’ll ask the students questions to prompt them into thinking, if he observes that they aren’t retaining the material well. He pays very close attention to the students’ body language and adapts his teaching accordingly.” An alumnus turned faculty member remarked that “Sixteen years after taking Mark’s course I still vividly remember his lectures on half-cell potential and corrosion.” Pritzker, who started at the University of Waterloo in 1989, is well known for going above and beyond the expectations of both students and colleagues. A faculty member raved, “His teaching packages and the notes for the courses he has taught are used by numerous other faculty members which is a testament to the quality of the instruction and overall organization and presentation of the material.” One student recognized that “Professors like Dr. Pritzker show students that post-secondary education is more than just getting a degree.”