Mike Sharratt, recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, 2008

Kinesiology

Michael Sharratt has been a faculty member of the University of Waterloo since 1974. From 1998 to 2005, he held the title of professor and dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. His courses include the Physiology of Coronary Artery Disease, Physiological Adaptations to Physical Activity, and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Practicum. Professor Sharratt developed the web-based electrocardiogram learning tool, which allowed students to read electrocardiographs at an advanced level. He also initiated both the 'Hardy Hearts' and 'Well Fit' programs in the Kitchener/Waterloo community. Students appreciate his passion for getting them to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real world settings. This provided students with both the confidence and expertise for the working world. He has also been a motivating factor for students in their careers after graduation. For many students, Michael Sharratt sparked an interest in heart disease and heart disease research. His profound knowledge, the combination of his historical and contemporary lecture content, and his passion for helping people with heart disease has been described as “inspiring and impressive.” A former student of Michael's stated that after writing a final exam for one of his courses, she left the exam room feeling “sad that a course had ended.”