Jeffrey Lee, a PhD candidate in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, is being celebrated for his tenacity as a teaching assistant and has received the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student.
When the ME 380 course instructor had to go on medical leave, Jeffrey stepped into the role of class instructor without hesitation.
Having completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees within the department and using his previous experience as an undergraduate student, Jeffrey understood that sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions when other classmates appear confident in the course material. Jeffrey vowed to create an approachable environment where everyone was confident raising their hands in class, attending office hours, or asking questions through other channels.
The professor he filled in for, Dr. Armaghan Salehian, is deeply grateful for Jeffrey stepping into the educator role. She remarks, “Jeff has an outstanding work ethic, is exceptionally dedicated, and brings genuine passion to teaching. His commitment to helping students succeed is evident in everything he does.”
His supervisor, Dr. Yue Hu, has also been impressed by Jeffrey’s natural teaching ability. Jeffrey’s natural ability. As her teaching assistant for offerings of ME 262 and MTE 544, she is impressed by Jeffrey’s ability to connect with students. She says, “He would always go above and beyond, holding extra sessions and extra office hours for students. His tutorial sessions were much more attended than lecture sessions! He also recently helped me in teaching three lecture instances of 262 while I was away and was able to immediately connect with the students, who asked if they'd be able to see Jeffrey again.”
For Jeffrey, the experience has been deeply rewarding. He is encouraged by the positive impact he has had on both students and faculty. Teaching at the university level is something he hopes to pursue in the future. “Serving as a teaching assistant over the past 2.5 years has been an incredibly rewarding journey. Drawing on my own undergraduate experiences, I entered this role with the goal of creating a more open, engaging, and approachable learning environment. I wanted to foster stronger connections between students and the teaching team by breaking down barriers that had often limited my own educational experience,” he says.
The nominations came from many professors and students who have had the pleasure of working with Jeffrey over the last few years in their courses. It is clear that Jeffrey is a valued member of both our faculty and his students, with this being his third teaching award on top of the Waterloo Engineering Society’s Friend of Natalie Award and Sandford Fleming Foundation Award for TA Excellence that he previously received. Congratulations, Jeffrey on being recognized for your teaching roles!
Learn more about Jeffrey’s commitment to student success through teaching in Celebrating exceptional teaching by students by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.