Congratulations to the 2016 recipients of the Distinguished Teacher Awards!
Jee-Hae Lim
School of Accounting and Finance
Recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Teacher Award
Since she joined the University of Waterloo in June 2006, Lim has been credited for taking a course that students approached with trepidation and turning it into a course that students love. She is known for establishing a personal connection with students, even in large classes – by learning names, doing homework checks in the classroom, and offering career advice during her office hours. One undergraduate described Lim as “dynamic in the classroom, supportive during office hours (regular and extended), and overall a great instructor and person to interact with.” Lim’s innovative assignments are designed to get students to extend their knowledge beyond the classroom and the textbook. An alumna commented that, “Jee-Hae is like an invisible hand, gently pushing from behind, [and] encouraging people to accomplish that which at first seems impossible, pausing and applauding as each milestone is reached before gently pushing again towards an even higher goal.” One of Lim’s colleagues wrote that, “She brings the same analytical and comprehensive approach to delivering her courses that she brings to developing her research. In both cases, her performance is exemplary.”
Robert McKillop
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Teacher Award
McKillop is known simply as “Bob” to students and colleagues alike. Since joining the university full time in 1999, he has taught a variety of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. McKillop is recognized for his one-on-one support of students, consistently high level of preparation, real world relevance in his courses, and setting demanding but realistic standards. These factors contribute to McKillop’s students being more successful. “It is noteworthy,” commented one of McKillops colleagues, “that in recent years, the Electrical, Computer, and Management Engineering programs have begun to implement Bob’s strategies in their 1A term so that their students can benefit from the ‘Bob Effect.’” As a current undergrad noted, “Dr. McKillop is one of the first faces they see, and he stays with them until they have successfully navigated their first year of undergrad.” An alumna elaborates, “In the 15 years that I have known him, there is one thing that has never changed: he is as excited each September to meet his new first-year students as he was the previous September. Bob is not only excited to meet his new students, he is hopeful for their future and what they can accomplish.”
Kathryn Plaisance
Knowledge Integration
Recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Teacher Award
Plaisance, who has been at UWaterloo since 2009, has been a valuable foundational member of the Knowledge Integration program, and has had a transformative impact on her colleagues. Along with many presentations to peers about her teaching practices, Plaisance created a workshop with her students to help other faculty members implement collaborative strategies into their teaching. Many faculty members who attended remarked that the experience would change the way they taught in their own classrooms (she and her students have been asked to run a second such workshop in April). Plaisance is known for being approachable to students and makes herself available to meet outside of class to discuss matters that are affecting them – both personally and academically. One undergraduate student commented that “Katie has the ability to challenge her students while simultaneously building academic confidence. Every student that takes a class with Katie grows as a writer, philosopher, learner, and listener.” To quote one of Plaisance’s colleagues, “Her pedagogy is rigorous and exciting at the same time. She is rapidly emerging as one of UWaterloo’s leading exemplars in teaching.”
Mark Pritzker
Chemical Engineering
Recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Teacher Award
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.”
