John Donald

Education and Employment Background 

Dr. John Donald received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1993 and obtained his professional engineering designation in 1994. He has ten years of experience working in industry as an engineer and senior manager, including seven years at an international environmental engineering consulting firm and three years in technology startups. John’s work in academia started with the Ontario college system where he worked in progressively senior academic positions including Director, Dean, and Vice-Presidential roles. In 2013, John joined the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph where he is an Associate Professor.

Research Themes 

John’s research focuses on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the place of engineers in society. He is particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms that support the capacity of engineering students to become successful engineers, to develop strong design skills, and to take on leadership roles in engineering and beyond. Key areas of focus include:

1. Leadership and management in the engineering context: Looking at the engineering accreditation framework and theories of leadership and management practice, this work explores how engineering curriculum can be developed and delivered such that leadership and management competencies are concurrently developed with technical skills as part of the engineering mindset.
2. Interdisciplinary engineering design: To address societal challenges, engineers must work in interdisciplinary teams to design appropriate and relevant solutions. This work explores appropriate pedagogy to develop professional skills, reflective practice, and inclusive and effective teams in the context of interdisciplinary engineering design.
3. Technology stewardship in engineering. In the context of the Engineering Grand Challenges and UN Sustainable Development goals, this work explores approaches to building opportunities for students to engage with the grand challenges in a meaningful way.

Highlights 

• Guelph Engineering Leadership Program, 2020-2021 (www.gel.uoguelph.ca)
• Guelph School of Engineering Undergraduate Design Maker Space, DENSO Foundation, 2020
• Fellow, Canadian Engineering Education Association, 2019 (www.ceea.ca)
• Director, Physical Science and Engineering Education Research (PSEER) Centre, 2019-20
• President, Canadian Engineering Education Association, 2017-18 (www.ceea.ca)
• Member, Ontario Society for Professional Engineers

Media Coverage

Ontario Engineering Competition

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences: U of G Hosts OEC