Dr. Dan Watt presenting the inaugural Dr. Daniel Frank Watt Scholarship in Materials Engineering to recipient, graduate student Amirmasoud Khodadadibehtash, at the University of Windsor on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (MIKE WILKINS/ University of Windsor)
By Lindsay Charlton
Described as one of the “founding figures” of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Windsor, Dr. Dan Watt is continuing his legacy through a scholarship for materials engineers pursuing research.
The inaugural Dr. Daniel Frank Watt Scholarship in Materials Engineering was awarded Dec. 17 to its first recipient, graduate student Amirmasoud Khodadadibehtash, during a celebration attended by Watt, his wife Linda Menard-Watt, faculty members and friends and family.
“It’s incredible that Dan has been a professor here for so many years and has left such a strong legacy. You have people following in his footsteps, carrying on the torch of materials engineering,” Faculty of Engineering Dean Dr. Bill Van Heyst said.
“This is what it’s all about. We have somebody passionate and dedicated to education, and we have somebody passionate and dedicated to his education. And coming together now, it’s the two of them — one sponsoring the other in this fellowship.”
Khodadadibehtash’s research spans materials science, from friction, wear and lubrication in coatings and microsensors to material formability and advanced materials for industrial and high-tech manufacturing applications.
“It’s a great pleasure for me to receive this scholarship as the first recipient,” he said.
“I would like to thank the Watts for granting this scholarship and for all the support they provide to graduate students in materials engineering. It’s both an opportunity and a responsibility after graduation.”
From left to right: Dr. Ahmet Alpas, Amirmasoud Khodadadibehtash, Dr. Dan Watt, Dr. Bill Van Heyst at an event celebrating the inaugural Dr. Daniel Frank Watt Scholarship in Materials Engineering at the University of Windsor on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (MIKE WILKINS/ University of Windsor)
Mechanical, automotive and materials engineering professor Dr. Ahmet Alpas, who supported Khodadadibehtash in his research, said the recognition is well-deserved.
“Amir approaches research with discipline and a sense of purpose. He has also mentored other graduate students and has shown great commitment to his work and to the values this award represents.”
Watt began teaching at the University of Windsor in 1968.
According to his wife, he was one of the first professors to provide computer-assisted instruction. Menard-Watt noted he would spend hours grading exams, primarily assigning essay-type questions, believing it was the best way for students to truly understand the material.
Watt was passionate about research, especially in steels, later expanding to concrete and plastics. He worked closely with industry partners in Windsor and Detroit, including projects through the Industrial Research Institute.
In the late 1970s, Watt took a break from academia to pursue an opportunity in Houston, Texas, where he applied his engineering skills to build a plant producing tool bits for the oil drilling industry.
However, knowing his true passion lay in teaching and research, he returned to Windsor.
Watt said he and his family established the scholarship as a way to give back to students.
Linda Menard-Watt speaks about husband Dr. Dan Watt’s career and their motivations for developing the Dr. Daniel Frank Watt Scholarship in Materials Engineering at the University of Windsor on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (MIKE WILKINS/ University of Windsor)
“Dan loved working with his students, especially fourth-year project students,” Menard-Watt said.
She said that when working on research papers with students, Watt would always put the student's name first, despite being the principal researcher.
When she asked him why, he replied, “‘I have my career. These students are starting up; they need a shot. They're just beginning.’ He wanted to help them, and I thought that was a very noble thing to do.”
He taught hundreds of students, including three of his own nephews, before joining the ranks of professor emeritus in 2003.
Alpas described Watt as a valued colleague and mentor.
“He is one of the founding figures of the Faculty of Engineering in Windsor and has many years of distinguished service to materials engineering and other programs. His contributions to research, industrial collaborations and graduate and undergraduate students were fundamental,” he said.
“It's very meaningful that his legacy continues with this scholarship.”