With the impending retirement of current Environment Teaching Fellow Mary Louise McAllister, Environment is proud to announce that Simron Singh, a professor in the School of Environment Enterprise and Development with a cross-appointment in Environment and Resource Studies, will be taking over that role.
The position of Teaching Fellow was created by the Provost to promote, enhance and support teaching excellence and experiential learning in each of the Faculties at the University of Waterloo.
During her three years as Teaching Fellow McAllister brought experience, enthusiasm and a wealth of new ideas to the position. Together with the Faculty of Environment Teaching Learning Committee (TLC) comprised of undergrad and graduate student representatives, faculty members, Scott Anderson, CTE Faculty Liaison to Environment, Mark Groulx (ENV Teaching Learning Associate), McAllister launched a number of teaching-related initiatives from environmentally-focused teaching seminars, to showcasing the creative teaching of our faculty members, to the popular learning showcase, the GreenTEA website.
“As Teaching Fellow, it has truly been a pleasure and a privilege to work with the students, staff and colleagues here in the Faculty of Environment and beyond,” McAllister said, “I am sure that Simron will feel the same.”
Singh, the program director of the Master of Development Practice (MDP) Program
is a social/human ecologist focusing on understanding the metabolism of local rural systems and their long-term dynamics using biophysical variables such as material and energy flows, land use, and time-use. He has a wealth of international experience.
"It is a great honour to be given this responsibility as Teaching Fellow and to contribute to the teaching and learning environment at the faculty,” said Singh. “I am looking forward to this new challenge and working with my faculty colleagues even more closely. It is not easy to replace Mary Louise's dedication and commitment as Teaching Fellow, but I will do my best. I am thankful to Mary Louise for setting up such a committed TLC committee to work with, and the GreenTEA initiative that will continue. Mary Louise has been a champion of student-centred experiential learning, and this is one thing I really wish to take on further.”
If you have any questions about the Teaching Fellowship in the Faculty of Environment, and our commitment to experiential learning please contact Simron Singh: simron.singh@uwaterloo.ca