A professor in the Faculty of Engineering has been recognized for more than a decade of hands-on, inclusive teaching that has reshaped how students in civil and environmental engineering experience foundational concepts.
Dr. Rania Al-Hammoud, Professor, Teaching Stream, and Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received the 2026 Distinguished Teacher Award — the University of Waterloo’s highest honour for teaching excellence, awarded to those with a sustained record of excellence spanning at least five years.
"This award is especially meaningful because I genuinely care about my students and the challenges, growth and success they experience throughout their educational journeys,” says Al-Hammoud. “It is both humbling and heartwarming to know that students recognize the care, encouragement and commitment I have invested in helping them build confidence and realize their potential.”
Al-Hammoud has taught mechanics and structural engineering at Waterloo for 14 years. She is known for bringing physical props and demonstrations into the classroom, from pool noodles to wooden blocks, to make structural concepts tangible, and for designing projects that connect students to real communities. Her first-year mechanics course includes a community-engaged playground design project in which student teams develop concepts for a local elementary school and present their proposals directly to the children who will use the space.
Her Engineering Students as Teachers program, launched in 2019, has brought more than 3,000 middle schoolers into contact with structural mechanics through lessons designed and delivered by her students. She also initiated Engineering Design Days, now running across all four programs in her department, in which students complete a full design project, from brief to build, over two immersive days.
"Rania is an innovative and dedicated educator who advances student learning through purposeful design and meaningful learning experiences," said Dr. Scott Walbridge, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "She consistently counterbalances abstract, lecture-heavy material by integrating hands-on learning and carefully designed projects that help students connect foundational theory to authentic engineering practice."
Students describe Al-Hammoud as one of the most influential educators of their undergraduate experience — a professor who brings the same energy to office hours and academic advising as she does to the classroom. Her teaching is consistently praised for making complex material accessible and engaging, while her mentorship extends well beyond course content. "Her guidance and encouragement have had a profound effect on my personal and professional growth," said one student. Another noted that "her support and dedication to student learning extended beyond the classroom, creating an inclusive and motivating environment that truly inspired me."
The Distinguished Teacher Award is presented annually to four recipients across campus. Al-Hammoud will receive the award in the fall term.
Dr. Rania Al-Hammoud