Jenny Howcroft, PEng (She/Her)

Jennifer Howcroft is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is the Associate Chair, Academic for the Department of Systems Design Engineering.

Her research encompasses technical and pedagogical research areas. Her pedagogical research focuses on engineering education, in particular engineering design, holistic engineering education, and empathy. Her technical research is predominantly focused on the evaluation of older adult naturalistic driving and sensor-based human movement analysis encompassing signal analysis, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence techniques.

• Pedagogical research
• Clinical and rehabilitation engineering
• Gait analysis and wearable sensors
• Driving fitness assessments

• 2016, Doctorate Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada
• 2011, Master's Clinical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
• 2009, Bachelor of Applied Science Biological Engineering, University of Guelph, Canada

• 2024 Ron Britton Engineering Education Vanguard Award, CEEA
• 2024 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo
• 2023 Boyce Family Award for Teaching Excellence, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo
• 2022 SFF Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo
• 2020 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo
• 2019 SAGE Elite Reviewer Award, Prosthetics & Orthotics International (POI)

• 2024-2025 Associate Chair, Academic for Department of Systems Design Engineering
• 2022-2024 Teaching & Learning Champion for Department of Systems Design Engineering

• BME 161 - Introduction to Biomedical Design
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• BME 162 - Human Factors in the Design of Biomedical and Health Systems
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• BME 362 - Biomedical Engineering Design Workshop 1
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• ME 321 - Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines
  • Taught in 2020
• SYDE 161 - Introduction to Design
  • Taught in 2020
• SYDE 162 - Human Factors in Design
  • Taught in 2020
• SYDE 261 - Design, Systems, and Society
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660 - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660A - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1 - AI and Machine
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660B - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1 - Biomedical Systems
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660C - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1 - Human Factors
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660D - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1 - Mechatronic & Physical Systems
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• SYDE 660E - Systems Design Graduate Workshop 1 - Vision, Image & Signal
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• J. Howcroft, K. Mercer, Instructor and Graduate Student perspectives: Is Empathy a Needed Design Skill for Future Engineers? ASEE 2024. 23-26 June 2024.
• K. Mercer, J. Howcroft, Biomedical Stakeholder Café: A People-Centered Approach for the Future of Design in Engineering Education, ASEE 2024. 23-26 June 2024.
• J. Howcroft, J. Vale, What Do Stakeholders Value? Integrating Value Sensitive Design Techniques into an Impacts-Focused Design Course. CEEA 2024. 15-19 June 2024.
• J. Howcroft, K. Mercer, Developing a Biomedical Stakeholder Café: Process, Development, Implementation and Lessons Learned. CEEA 2024. 15-19 June 2024.
• K.D. Weaver, K. Mercer, J. Howcroft. Critical Reading across the Engineering Disciplines In R. Hamelers & H. G. Rempel (Eds.) Teaching critical reading skills: Strategies for academic librarians. Association of College and Research Libraries. 2023.
• R. Kirkscey, J. Vale, J. Howcroft. Identifying the foundation: Connecting codes of ethics, accreditation, values, and social justice to the engineering curriculum. CEEA 2023. 19-21 June 2023.
• J. Howcroft, K. Mercer. “What if my Wi-Fi crashes during an exam?”: First-year engineering student perceptions of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Engineering Education. 2022. vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 501-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2031115.
• J. Howcroft, K. Mercer. Where we are: Understanding instructor perceptions of empathy in engineering education. CEEA 2022. 18-22 June 2022.
• M. Nouredanesh, A. Godfrey, J. Howcroft, E.D. Lemaire, J. Tung. Fall risk assessment in the wild: A critical examination of wearable data use. Gait and Posture. 2021. vol. 85, pp. 178-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.04.010.

• Inaugural Biomedical Stakeholder Cafe connects students with community stakeholders
• Prof wins early career education award
• Prof shares three skills to help graduates find success