iSci Program honoured with an ‘Oscar of innovation in higher education’
The Integrated Science Program lab in the General Sciences Building opened in Oct. 2013. The program recently won a prestigious award in recognition of its outstanding teaching and learning strategies.
McMaster’s innovative Integrated Science Program has been recognized with a prestigious Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award.
The program, which welcomed its first students in 2009, won a Presence Learning Award for its focus on student learning and outcomes.
The competition was developed by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, publisher of the QS World University Rankings.
McMaster was the only Canadian institution to be named in any category and won in a premium category.
The award recognized the use of student involvement in the design and implementation of the program, as well as its ability to produce scientists skilled in research and communication who are ready to enter the professional field.
iSci content is taught in thematic modules, such as “Deflecting an Asteroid” or “Averting a Pandemic,” which helps students understand the connections between scientific disciplines and the relevance of science to modern society.
The program opened a new lab space in the General Sciences building in Oct. 2013.
iSci’s first class graduated in 2013 after taking part in a number of innovative activities, including travelling to Iceland to study volcanoes and glaciers.
Assistant professor Chad Harvey accepted the award on behalf of the program.
