The Physics and Engineering Physics Department Student Council (DSC) organized a great banquet on Saturday April 1. Well over a hundred students, faculty and staff enjoyed getting together to celebrate the end of the school year – having a banquet for the first time in four years!
One major highlight was the return of awards for instructors as voted on by the students. Thanks to the DSC for organizing this!
Awards for Instructors
- The award for excellence in instruction in Physics and Astronomy (voted on by students in the faculty of Arts and Science)
Sarah Sadavoy
- The award for excellence in instruction in Engineering Physics (voted on by students in the faculty of Engineering)
Aaron Vincent
- The Geoff Lockwood Award for Excellence in Teaching Physics (voted on by the whole graduating class for the instructor most important to their learning over their 4 years)
Greg van Anders
Congratulations to these deserving winners!
Other Awards
The students also created some new prizes… some recognizing the helpful staff in the physics department, some appreciating other important qualities in the professors. As is appropriate for a banquet held on April Fool’s Day, I was embarrassed and honoured to learn that these prizes are dubbed the “Knobel Prize”. The students have a citation for each award for why each was honored:
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Inaugural Knobel Prize: Rob Knobel
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Best Dressed Professor: Philippe Di Stefano
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Craziest Stories: Stéphane Courteau
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Ride the Curve: Nir Rotenberg
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Most "Legible" Notation: Aaron Vincent
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Best Student Support: Melissa Balson
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Rookie of the Year: Mark Evans
End of Year Banquet 2023 in Photos
![Department Head Rob Knobel having a great time at the banquet with Co-Presidents Rory Stinson (left) and Meghan Corbett (right).](/physics/sites/physwww/files/styles/image_gallery_thumbnail/public/uploaded_images/Images/News%20Images/2023-banquet_coPresidentsandRob-v3.jpg?h=2e0e806f&itok=7paLIP3P)
![The Physics and Engineering Physics Department Student Council (DSC) worked hard to organize the first year-end banquet 2023.](/physics/sites/physwww/files/styles/image_gallery_thumbnail/public/uploaded_images/Images/News%20Images/2023-banquet_DSC.jpg?h=09f1f78f&itok=WAvWDvjj)
![Engineering Physics students taking a brief intermission in trivia to participate in the popular tradition, "Clark Hall Dance" to the tune of Give It Up by KC & The Sunshine Band.](/physics/sites/physwww/files/styles/image_gallery_thumbnail/public/uploaded_images/Images/News%20Images/2023-banquet_engDance.jpg?h=5e5c669a&itok=_9VBzB9Q)
![Many of the 3rd year engineering physics students gathering for a Sci'24 photo!](/physics/sites/physwww/files/styles/image_gallery_thumbnail/public/uploaded_images/Images/News%20Images/2023-banquet_sci24.jpg?h=cd37e4b0&itok=hhyu3O6C)
![Fun "Knobel Prizes" were given out to professors as voted on by the students! The spherical cow prizes, also voted on by students, were given out for Excellence in Instruction in the Engineering Physics Program (winner: Aaron Vincent), Excellence in Instruction in the Pure Physics Program (winner: Sarah Sadavoy), and the Geoff Lockwood Award for Excellence in Teaching Physics (winner: Greg van Anders).](/physics/sites/physwww/files/styles/image_gallery_thumbnail/public/uploaded_images/Images/News%20Images/2023-banquet_prizes-reduced.jpg?h=d846c549&itok=f2UAhW5p)