Teaching excellence award for Victoria’s Dean of Engineering

Teaching excellence award for Victoria’s Dean of Engineering

Victoria University of Wellington’s Dean of Engineering has received one of the highest teaching honours in his profession—a 2015 Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence award.

Professor Dale Carnegie, who judges commended for his motivational teaching style, caring attitude and holistic approach to learning, was presented with the award at a function at Parliament last night.

Over a teaching career that has spanned 25 years, Professor Carnegie has taught engineering-related courses at all levels, from first-year undergraduate to postgraduate and doctoral students.

He says he takes pride in providing the best learning environment possible for his students.

“Every teaching opportunity is an occasion to lead by example, to clearly demonstrate that I enjoy being with my students, that I am passionate about the material I am presenting and that I deeply care about their individual learning.”

That approach clearly resonates with Professor Carnegie’s students who supported his award nomination with endorsements of his “engaging and full on” style, his “infectious enthusiasm” and his passion, with one student describing him as “the cool uncle you don’t want to disappoint”.

“I don’t stand behind a lectern,” Professor Carnegie says. “I wander round all the time—it’s all about being interactive and requiring full engagement from all students. It is just as important to me to inspire a failing student as it is to help a good student become the best they can be, hopefully to eventually outperform me.”

Professor Carnegie joined Victoria University in 2005, coming to the capital from a role at the University of Waikato.

He was appointed Deputy Head of School when the School of Engineering and Computer Science was established in 2009. While holding that role he led a national research programme to better understand student recruitment and retention issues in engineering.

“Students enrol in engineering with a certain set of expectations and our courses must meet those expectations. Engineers want to build, to create, to make a difference. Engineering staff and our colleagues in Mathematics took on this challenge and created a suite of new courses. Student satisfaction levels, and pass rates, soared,” Professor Carnegie says.

In 2012, Professor Carnegie became head of Victoria’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, taking over as Dean of Engineering at the beginning of 2015.

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford says the recognition for Professor Carnegie is well-deserved.

“Dale is not only an outstanding scholar but also an inspirational teacher who excites and inspires his students.

“Under his leadership, Engineering at Victoria, which is centred on the digital world, is going from strength to strength, with our students going on to work in industries at the cutting edge of this rapidly developing area.”

Professor Carnegie says the award is hugely important to him.

“I’m honoured at the recognition for myself, but also very proud of the endorsement of what we are doing in engineering.”

A short video produced by Ako Aotearoa on Professor Carnegie can be found on Victoria University’s YouTube channel.

ENDS

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