Teaching Excellence

We offer the best in student experience by providing an exciting learning environment, mentoring and guidance during their journey at the university. Our small classroom sizes allow students to interact with faculty and provide them with personal attention and unique experiences that large classrooms cannot provide. The department in all of its members: students, staff, faculty, retirees and alumni have an enormous sense of pride and commitment in maintaining high levels of success in research, and scholarship and teaching.

Our department is committed to a high quality of teaching, and to providing our students with professional skills. Our faculty have made strategic investments in teaching and learning towards this goal. Our small classes are designed to stimulate inquisitive minds and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through interactions with other students and with faculty committed to excellence.

We have award-winning graduate assistants leading our laboratories

Andrew Ouellette Faculty of Science TA Excellence Award, 2017

Theresa Spanjers GA/TA Award for Educational Leadership, 2012

Lauren Moffatt GA/TA Award for Educational Leadership, 2011

Crystal McKenzie GA/TA Award for Educational Practice, 2009

Our faculty also have won prestigious teaching awards:

Dr. Steve Rehse Science Society Excellence in Teaching Award, 2017

Dr. Chitra Rangan CAP Medal for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics, 2015

Dr. Chitra Rangan University of Windsor Teaching Leadership Chair, 2014-2017

Dr. Steve Rehse Roger Thibert Teaching Excellence Award, 2013

Dr. Chitra Rangan Roger Thibert Teaching Excellence Award, 2011

Dr. Steve Rehse College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching Award, Wayne State University, 2008

Dr. Gordon Drake Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching, 2003

Some of the recent investments in teaching and learning are:

  • First-year lab investment 2018: $5000 raised by the Science Major Gifts Officer to purchase ioLab apparatus for the first-year introductory physics laboratories.  

  • Redesign/Refurbishment of Essex Hall 287 2016: To create a specific classroom used solely for physics class and laboratory instruction.  

  • The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation Laboratory for Medical Physics Education 2014: $125,000 to establish a world-class laboratory teaching environment for the Medical Physics classes.

  • Strategic Priority Fund 2013: Creation of an Advanced Laboratory for Education, Research, and Training in Medical Physics

  • FORCE Physics Lesson Packs 2013 Theresa Spanjers and Chitra Rangan [Poster presented at Windsor-Oakland Conference on Teaching and Learning 2013]

  • Strategic Priority Fund 2010: Modular approach to Enhancing First-Year Experience in Science [Poster presented at Windsor-Oakland Conference on Teaching and Learning 2013]

  • CLIF Grant 2010: Improving Scaffolding for Problem-Solving in Junior Level Electromagentic Waves Chitra Rangan, Department of Physics [Poster presented at Windsor-Oakland Conference on Teaching and Learning 2013]

  • CLIF Grant 2009: Using Computer-Based Resources and Peer Tutoring to Facilitate First Year Students’ Understanding of Physics Tim Reddish, Department of Physics; George Zhou, Faculty of Education; & Elena Maeva, Department of Physics