Published November 17, 2011
by iris_author
The following appeared in the Wednesday, November 16th edition of YFile.
York University Professor Jose Etcheverry has received a prestigious CMHC Excellence in Education Award for bringing his commitment to sustainability into the classroom and extending learning beyond lectures.
A professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Etcheverry researches topics such as climate change mitigation and renewable energy policies. In confronting these issues, he focuses on developing practical policy solutions through collaboration, and finding new ways to communicate solutions effectively.
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Left: Jose Etcheverry
In addition to conducting research, training graduate students and teaching undergraduates, Etcheverry co-chairs the Sustainable Energy Initiative, established to build and strengthen the teaching, research and other partnerships needed to create new green energy economies in Canada and around the world.
“Jose Etcheverry is absolutely inspirational to his students. He talks about the need for sustainable energy with such passion that it is contagious,” said Barbara Rahder, dean of York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies. “And he works tirelessly to put his words into practice. If his students take up the cause with this same passion, we will be living in a different world much sooner than anticipated.”
CMHC (Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation) created the Excellence in Education Award in 2003 to honour outstanding educational contributions to sustainable practices. Etcheverry was selected for the award in the categories of Innovative Teaching and Sustainable Projects.
An example of this innovation is a project in which Etcheverry’s students will help the International Renewable Energy Agency to create a network of educational resources on renewable energy. As part of their course requirements, students will populate parts of the website for the organization, which represents 148 signatory nations that are devoted to promoting the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.
“We must involve students in this type of project so they get practical, hands-on experience that will set them apart when they graduate and give them confidence,” says Etcheverry. “We need to help students by stepping aside and letting them lead. At the end of the day, the future belongs to them.”
On receiving his award Monday evening, Etcheverry announced a new initiative that will further expand the student experience – a partnership between the Sustainable Energy Initiative in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and Aalborg University in northern Denmark. The exchange program will enable York University students to attend Aalborg University and learn hands-on at the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, a partner organization in northern Denmark, which has a unique wind-testing facility. Danish students will come to York to learn hands-on at the Kortright Centre’s Photovoltaic Performance Verification testing facility.
To learn more about Etcheverry's work, see the February 2008 issue of YorkU magazine.
