Monday, September 28, 2026

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• Teaching students to question through student-centred learning
• Professor named one of Canada's Top 40 under 40

• Celebrating Waterloo’s postdoc community

• Monday's notes

Teaching students to question through student-centred learning

Associate Professor and Senior Teaching Fellow Dr. Robert Hill

This article was originally published in Waterloo News. 

At the Faculty of Science, teaching is guided by a commitment to be student-centred, evidence-based and accessible. This article, the first in a three-part series, explores how those principles come to life through Student-Centred Learning.

In an era where generative AI can produce answers in seconds, a pressing question is emerging in university classrooms: What does it mean to actually learn something?

For Associate Professor and Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Robert Hill, the distinction is clear. Learning is not the ability to copy or mimic, but the ability to internalize information and apply it to new contexts. A Student-Centred Learning (SCL) approach accomplishes this by shifting the focus from teaching to learning using active-learning activities and collaboration in the classroom.

“Current evidence from research in teaching and learning shows that students don’t learn effectively by sitting in a lecture,” says Hill. “By experimenting, solving problems and even making mistakes, students deepen their understanding by actively working through concepts.”

Students in the Faculty of Science are taught using this approach beginning in their first term. In a first-year course, students spend only three hours in the classroom and an additional six hours outside the classroom. During valuable class time, they are expected to participate in activities led by the instructor that relate to their assigned reading materials completed outside of the classroom.

In an SCL classroom, teachers act as facilitators, guiding students through inquiry-based, project-based, or personalized learning experiences that boost independence, critical thinking, and real-world skills. This approach engages students in solving a problem using insights from prior readings and other learning resources, while being supported by the instructor’s guidance and expertise.

“Classroom time is valuable, so I make the effort to bring the readings to life,” says Hill. “There’s nothing better than posing a thought-provoking clicker question and suddenly having the room erupt as students start discussing it.”

In his physics class, Hill projects a problem to the room, and students write their solutions down on a practice test sheet. The tests are collected and dispersed amongst the class for peer review. “By solving a question and providing feedback to others on the problem, students become more connected with the material, which has a significant impact on their learning,” says Hill.

The next challenge in teaching and learning is exploring how AI can be used to enhance engagement. The Faculty of Science is exploring how these tools could support active and personalized learning experiences for a meaningful, discovery-driven student experience.

To understand how the world works, you need to experience it first-hand. That’s why the Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo prioritizes experiential learning in the classroom and beyond. Outside of lectures, students conduct research in cutting-edge labs, analyze real-world data, venture into the field for science experiments, and even travel abroad for a new perspective. No matter the journey, it's expected that students will leave Waterloo with the skills to put their knowledge into practice.

Professor named one of Canada's Top 40 under 40

Professor Michael Benoit

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering website. 

A Waterloo Engineering professor has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40® for 2026, one of the country’s most recognized honours for young leaders.

Dr. Michael Benoit, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, is one of the 2026 honourees named today in the Financial Post. Founded in 1995, the annual leadership award recognizes exceptional achievement among 40 outstanding Canadians under the age of 40. Its alumni network includes hundreds of prominent CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs and community leaders across Canada and internationally.

Benoit's research focuses on high-performance and sustainable metallic materials for welding, joining and additive manufacturing (AM) – including finding ways to use lower-purity, more sustainable aluminum without the cracking and defects that normally come with it. He is a core member of Waterloo's Centre for Advanced Materials Joining and Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab (MSAM), and serves as Associate Director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR). His work has helped explain how cracking forms during laser remelting and AM of aluminum alloys and nickel superalloys, and how AM and thermomechanical processing affect the strength of advanced high-strength steels, among many other fundamental and applied advances.

Benoit has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles; among other honours, he has received the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award and the ASM Bradley Stoughton Award for teaching.

Recipients are chosen by Top 40's independent advisory board — 18 respected leaders from across the country — based on career progression, leadership, vision and innovation, community involvement and social responsibility, and impact and influence. Benoit will receive the award at the Top 40 Awards Night in Toronto on October 21, 2026.

 “It’s an honour to receive the Top 40 recognition and to make an impact through my work as an educator, researcher and mentor,” said Benoit. “To me, it’s not just about individual achievement — it also celebrates the students, colleagues and collaborators who make meaningful work possible.” 

To learn more about Benoit’s research, visit his faculty member profile.

Celebrating Waterloo’s postdoc community

This article was originally published on the Postdoctoral Scholars website.

Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) took place from September 21 to 25, with institutions across North America recognizing the contributions of postdoctoral scholars. At the University of Waterloo, the week was marked by activities across the institution, including centralized events and opportunities organized by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Originally started by the National Postdoctoral Association, Postdoc Appreciation Week is recognized each September by universities across North America as an opportunity to celebrate the significant contributions postdoctoral scholars make to research and discovery.  

With close to 400 postdoctoral scholars working across all six faculties, postdocs are an important part of Waterloo’s research and academic community. This year’s Postdoc Appreciation Week offered opportunities to recognize those contributions while bringing postdocs together through networking, professional development, and social activities.

The week began with a networking kickoff, where postdocs had the opportunity to meet colleagues from across the University and hear remarks from Bill Rosehart, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Brian Ingalls, Assistant Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs and Assistant Provost, Graduate Students.

“Postdocs contribute to the Waterloo community and provide an enrichment of identities, backgrounds, ways of doing research, and ways of tackling problems,” said Ingalls as part of his opening remarks.

“Postdocs play such an important part of the campus community,” Rosehart affirmed, emphasizing both their contributions to Waterloo and the importance of creating connections outside their immediate research environments.

For many postdocs, day-to-day work is centered within a lab or research group, where they may be one of only a small number of postdoctoral scholars. Rosehart encouraged attendees to use the week to broaden those networks and build a stronger sense of community.

“One of the things that we want to achieve this week is to help you create more connections,” Rosehart said. “We want to form this community to enrich what you have in your lab or in your research group.”

As part of a networking activity hosted by Rosehart, postdocs were encouraged to introduce themselves to someone new, exchange contact information and consider ways to continue connecting beyond Postdoc Appreciation Week.

Monday’s notes 

The deadline tosubmit a nomination for the Employee Recognition Awards is Thursday, October 1. These awards celebrate individuals and teams who bring Waterloo's values to life through their actions, behaviours, and impact; strengthening our culture, supporting our community, and advancing our shared commitment. Help us recognize the people and teams who make a difference every day.  

In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, show your support with a $5 Orange Shirt. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each shirt is directed to support the Indigenous Student Development Fund at the University of Waterloo. Order onlineor visitW Store in SCHto get yours. 
 
Employers hosting CEE Employer Information Sessions this week include on Monday, September 28, Northbridge at 11:30 a.m., Cresta Intelligence at 5 p.m., and Bruce Power at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, September 30, R.V. Anderson Associates at 11:30 a.m., Formlabs at 5 p.m., and Neuralink at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday October 1, Genesys at 11:30 a.m., Wawanesa at 5 p.m., and Stripe at 7:30 p.m.; and on Friday October 2, University Pension Plan (UPP) at 11:30 a.m. 
 
The Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit conducts an annual community survey among adults aged 18 and over who reside in Waterloo Region. Researchers can purchase space to field their own survey questions while sharing the cost of conducting the research with other parties. The due date to express interest in participating is November 30, 2026. For more information, please contact Reem Tawfik at mailto:rtawfik@uwaterloo.ca.