AAEE Awards Roadshow - Citation for Outstanding Early Career Contribution to Engineering Education 2021
2023-06-13 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Online
AAEE Awards Roadshow – Citation for Outstanding Early Career Contribution to Engineering Education 2021
Date: 13 June 2023
Time: 12 – 1pm AEDT
ONLINE
Register – https://unimelb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dgwCk486R3W8sOkpLweo1A
In this seminar the award winners of the 2021 Citation for Outstanding Early Career Contribution to Engineering Education, Dr Aaron Opdyke and Dr Sam Cunningham, will each provide an overview of their work before a combined discussion (with opportunities to ask questions!) will be held.
Seminar Overview:
Dr Aaron Opdyke was awarded a citation for developing engineering curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field. This was awarded for a uniquely immersive approach incorporating project-based service-learning pedagogy and industry collaborations to equip students with engineering knowledge to address global development challenges, promote cultural competence, and develop integrated professional, ethical, and personal identities for graduates in a humanitarian engineering context.
Dr Sam Cunningham was awarded a citation for innovatively using technology in large electrical engineering classes to improve learner engagement, enhance feedback and develop understanding of challenging concepts. This was for the development of developed a range of pedagogically driven technological tools, including scaffolded video content with prompts, a form-based marking scheme, and an automated assessment system for conceptual understanding.
Bios:
Dr Aaron Opdyke is a Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian Engineering at the University of Sydney. His research focuses on the interface of infrastructure and social systems, examining this nexus in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation of the built environment. His teaching builds on industry collaborations with non-profits, government agencies, and engineering firms to immerse students in engineering judgement among broader social, economic, and environmental constraints. Dr Opdyke has received international recognition for his efforts to advance the professionalisation of the field of humanitarian engineering. Through his teaching, he aims to prepare engineers to work in challenging contexts – in disaster response, amidst armed conflict, or remote communities – developing new pedagogical teaching tools that can open the accessibility of these contexts for student learning with space for reflection on ethical practice.
Dr Sam Cunningham is a senior lecturer at Queensland University of Technology in the Faculty of Engineering, and Learning and Teaching Unit. Having completed both his Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) and PhD in Engineering Education at QUT, he now teaches a range of professional development modules around student evaluation and various technologies, as well as provides learning and teaching support to the Faculty of Engineering. His research involves machine learning and textual analysis techniques for application in educational contexts. He has published research papers in leading international journals and spoken at numerous conferences. His passion for teaching is evident in his engaging teaching style and his dedication to mentoring, guiding, and inspiring his students. He has earned numerous awards and accolades for his work and made outstanding contributions to the field of engineering education.

Winter School
2023-07-10 - 2023-07-14 | Brisbane
Refer to the Winter School page for further details.
Winter/Summer Schools

Early Career Academy Applications Due
2023-07-28
See https://aaee.net.au/academy for more details

Award Applications Due
2023-09-01
Refer to awards page for more information
AAEE Awards

AAEE Conference 2023
2023-12-03 - 2023-12-06 | Gold Coast
See conference page for more details
Conferences

AAEE Conference 2024
2024-12-08 - 2024-12-11 | Christchurch, New Zealand

AAEE Conference 2025
2025-12-07 - 2025-12-10 | Brisbane
