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Engineering to honour Don Woods at upcoming celebration

Don Woods

The Faculty of Engineering will honour the late professor emeritus Don Woods May 8 at the annual Applause and Accolades awards celebration. Woods, a former professor of chemical engineering, died April 26 at the age of 78.


The Faculty of Engineering will honour the late professor emeritus Don Woods May 8 at the annual Applause and Accolades awards celebration.

Woods, a former professor of chemical engineering, died April 26 at the age of 78.

Several months ago, Woods was selected to receive the Faculty’s Education Achievement Award. His family will now accept it on his behalf.

“Don was one of the Faculty of Engineering’s most significant builders,” said Art Heidebrecht, acting dean of engineering. “Current students, faculty and staff are beneficiaries of his contributions to engineering education. I had the privilege of knowing Don from the beginning of his time at McMaster and feel honoured to have had him as a colleague.”

Woods started his career at McMaster in 1964. His research interests included problem-based learning – an education model that was subsequently used by numerous other disciplines and for which McMaster is world-renowned.

Woods was honoured with many awards throughout his career, including the first President’s Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership, a Lifetime Teaching Award from the McMaster Students Union and a 3M Teaching Fellowship.

He was awarded honorary degrees from Queen’s University, the University of Guelph and McMaster.

The Applause and Accolades celebration will also recognize Jennifer Jackman, director general of the CANMET Materials Technology Lab, with the Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award, alumna Kim Woodhouse, dean of engineering and applied science at Queen’s, with the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, and Jamal Deen, Senior Canada Research Chair in Information Technology, with the Faculty of Engineering Research Achievement Award.

The celebration is scheduled for May 8, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Hamilton’s Liuna Station.