Distinguished Teaching Award champ 2007, Wei-Chau Xie, Faculty of Engineering

Waterloo civil engineering professor Wei-Chau Xie admits that his subject - applied mechanics - can be tough. Luckily for his students, he has a talent for breaking down complex problems into simpler components, and for demonstrating abstract concepts in a visual way. Often his explications are carried out in chalk on the blackboard — "an old-fashioned skill, but very important." To motivate his students, Xie tries to put himself in their shoes. "Why do I need to learn about differential equations?" he asks himself. To bring abstract ideas to life, he finds concrete applications. For example, he shows how to use differential equations to model the effect of a strong wind on the CN Tower. Xie is known as a teacher who respects his students, cares for their well-being, and encourages them to ask questions. "For me," he says, "there is no question that is too small or too big."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4wxQBcqb-U&hl=en

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