Whippey honoured for dedication
University of Western Ontario physics professor emeritus Patrick Whippey has been honoured by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) with a 2010 Distinguished Service Citation Award.
One of the few Canadians to receive the award, Whippey was lauded as a “knowledgeable and dedicated physics teacher” who is a role model to educators and students.
Whippey’s service to AAPT, the physics profession and physics students and teachers of the Ontario section of the AAPT has spanned more than 40 years. He has made contributions as a member of the association’s executive board, OAPT section representative, and webmaster.
Whippey, winner of numerous Western honours including the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching, has made contributions to numerous activities for physics teachers such as science shows and presentations for elementary, middle and high school students; science Olympics; and science fairs.
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists – with more than 10,000 members worldwide – dedicated to enhancing the appreciation of physics through teaching, publications, and programs that encourage the practical application of physics principles. Engineering students ‘go green’
Two Western engineering students have earned $25,000 thanks to their ‘green initiative’ on sustainable food and energy production, and closing the loop from farm field waste.
Peter Schnurr and Hilary Booth, along with faculty sponsor Amarjeet Bassi, had one of four university projects selected as winners of the TD Bank Friends of the Environment (tdfef.com) Go Green Challenge, a national competition that encourages students to develop ideas about and proposals for environmental sustainability in their communities.
Essays from 182 teams representing 460 students from 52 schools across the country were submitted to last year’s competition.
Each team’s winnings can be used towards bringing their idea to life, or for other expenses such as tuition, books and rent.
Hodder earns medal
Earth Sciences Professor Emeritus Bob Hodder received the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences Mentorship Medal earlier this month at the Prospectors and Developers Convention 2010 in Toronto.