Dr. Chris Rennick, Engineering Educational Developer at the Pearl Sullivan Engineering IDEAs Clinic, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Isadore T. Davis Award for Excellence in Collaboration of Engineering Education and Industry, one of the top honours bestowed by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
The award recognizes individuals who make a mark in the collaborative efforts between engineering education and industry toward the improvement of partnerships that advance learning, scholarship and engagement.
"Waterloo students forge strong connections to industry through their work-term experiences, but we saw an opportunity to provide early exposure to the problems industry are tackling, and industry tools and techniques through IDEAs Clinic workshops and challenges," said Rennick. "Working with engineers in industry has been illuminating to the thousands of students who have taken part in IDEAs Clinic challenges and has greatly enhanced my abilities as an engineering educator. I'm honoured to be recognized for this work."
Rennick has led the IDEAs Clinic since its inception more than a decade ago, building it into a nationally recognized hub for hands-on learning that has logged more than 60,000 undergraduate student visits. In 2025, more than 8,600 students engaged in IDEAs Clinic activities — a record high.
Central to his work is building sustained industry relationships that put students in direct contact with practising engineers and real-world problems. He forged partnerships with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada and Brock Solutions and created the design for Toyota’s Innovation Challenge, a weekend-long design hackathon where students tackle live problems from the manufacturing sector.
He also co-created the Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship, a nine-week internship that brings together engineering students from Waterloo, Harvey Mudd College, Tecnológico de Monterrey and Khalifa University, alongside municipal engineers and city stakeholders to tackle pressing real-world sustainability challenges. .
"His leadership of the IDEAs Clinic has fundamentally reshaped the way engineering education is experienced at the University of Waterloo," wrote Mary Robinson, an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, in her letter of support. "His ability to seamlessly connect classroom learning with industry challenges, his dedication to student mentorship, and his commitment to advancing engineering education through research and practice make him an outstanding candidate for the Isadore T. Davis Award."
Beyond his work at the IDEAs Clinic, Rennick is co-founder and co-organizer of the Canadian Design Workshop, a biennial national conference for engineering design educators, and a fellow of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACEG).
Rennick will receive the award at the 2026 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, held June 21–24 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Dr. Chris Rennick has won the 2026 Isadore T. Davis, presented by the American Society of Engineering Education.