A Waterloo Engineering graduate student is among four University of Waterloo students honoured this year for outstanding contributions in student teaching.
Jeffrey Lee, a graduate student in the Deparment of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, received the Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student alongside recipients from the faculties of Environment, Math and Science.
Lee stepped up as de facto course instructor after the scheduled instructor for ME 380 required emergency medical leave in fall 2025, maintaining the curriculum and providing high-level technical feedback on fabrication and test validation throughout the term. He also drew on his own experience as a mechatronics student to deliberately lower barriers for his class, building an environment where students felt comfortable asking questions in class, at office hours or over Microsoft Teams.
Dr. Armaghan Salehian, who nominated Lee for the award, noted his composed demeanour and professional competence helped the class stay focused during a period of uncertainty.
Go to Celebrating exceptional teaching by students for the full story on Lee and the other Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student recipients.
