The University of North Texas recognizes outstanding teachers who make a difference for students every month. One such award recipient is the Mechanical & Energy Engineering Department’s Lee Smith, a Doctoral candidate, and Teaching Fellow. Smith has taught the Discover Mechanical & Energy Engineering and Mechanical & Energy Engineering Lab 1 courses for the department across several semesters.

Smith has been instrumental in developing new material for the courses with Xiaohua Li, Ph.D. and keeping students excited and engaged in learning mechanical & energy engineering. Smith who completed his undergraduate degree with the department used his experience of being an undergraduate student to help build on the foundations of the discover MEE course., “My approach for teaching Discover MEE was to do my best to inform what our degree is. I am trying to give a student perspective of our program by asking all the questions I wish I had thought to ask when I started. One of the key things is that the average student for my class is straight out of high school and is not an engineer so the content I am teaching is to help with the transition from student to an engineering student.” Smith said.

Nominated by Zachary Simmons who is number 24 on the UNT basketball team, Smith was awarded the Faculty Spotlight Award on October 13 2018 at apogee stadium during a UNT football game against Southern Mississippi.
 

Lee Smith on right

Lee Smith Second from right receiving the Faculty Spotlight Award

Lee Smith Second from right receiving the Faculty Spotlight Award