New engineering awards for teaching excellence

Friday 29 June 2007
By Naomi Weston

An inaugural ceremony for new Teaching Excellence in Engineering Education awards, worth £10,000 each, was held on 15 June by the Faculty of Engineering's EnVision 2010 project.

The awards give recognition to teachers who have made a broad and deep impact by systemically enhancing the quality of the engineering student learning experience at the College. There were three awards and they were granted to Dr Anthony Field, Professor John Cosgrove and the Constructionarium team. The ceremony will become an annual event.

Dr Anthony Field, a reader in performance engineering from the Department of Computing, has made significant contributions to the Department’s top standing in computing education, the smooth and professional running of the department’s teaching programmes and the resulting student experience. Project and assessment procedures developed by Dr Field have been adopted by other departments and universities.

Professor John Cosgrove, Professor of Structural Geology, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering has a long and distinguished record of achievement and service to the education of structural geologists. He continues to inspire and enthuse, and generate skills and knowledge, through outstanding teaching. Student feedback reports 'his patience and dedication have not waned; he always gives inspirational lectures and has a talent for explaining even the most complex geological concepts in a way that everyone can comprehend.'

Professor Cosgrove’s teaches over 18 courses at academic institutions worldwide. He has been an external examiner in 6 institutions, and is a trustee of the Geological Association to encourage young people and their teachers and the next generation of geology students.

"I was delighted and surprised to receive a Teaching Award. Their inauguration sends a clear message both within and outside the College stating that the Imperial expects and rewards excellence in both research and teaching," commented Professor Cosgrove.

Alison Ahearn, Dr Sunday Popo-Ola and Rebecca Naessens, from the Department of Civil Engineering work as a team to run the innovative Constructionarium field course, which immerses students in a construction microcosm. The project enables hands-on student learning through construction work in a realistic environment.

The team have established national leadership on the event and offer guidance on academic, engineering and administrative details to over 40 universities, consulting engineers and contractors. Universities taking up the idea this year included Leeds, UCL and Cambridge.

Dr Popo-Ola commented: "The Constructionarium turns Imperial engineering students into engineering practitioners in a matter of five days and allows them to put their engineering theories into practice. The students repay our efforts by producing amazing feats of engineering and management."

Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Principal of the Faculty of Engineering, said: "The awards were given in recognition of individuals or small teams who are renowned for the excellence of their teaching and have enhanced the quality of the engineering student learning experience. I thank them for their continued commitment to developing the engineers of tomorrow."

The ceremony was attended by the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, Deputy Rector, Leszek Borysiewicz, Professor John Wood, New Principal of the Faculty of Engineering, and guest speaker, John Armitt, the new Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority for the Olympic Games in London in 2012. John Armitt is a civil engineer and he gave an entertaining talk on his education and career to commence the ceremony.

Visit: www.imperial.ac.uk/envision for more information about EnVision 2010 and the awards.