The winner of the 2017 Student Academic Choice Award for Best Teaching for Undergraduates was Prof Silvestre Pinho, of the Department of Aeronautics.
What students said:
"His lectures are well-structured, clear and he always makes sure we follow his lectures, understanding every aspect. He is also energetic and has a wonderful sense of humour. Thus, the lectures are not only interesting, but also entertaining. One of the best things about him as a lecturer is that he is very approachable. He is always keen on meeting students even outside his office hour. His flexibility is also extremely important to mention. Firstly, whenever he receives feedback about his way of teaching, he makes immediate changes to make sure the raised issues are solved. Secondly, he is able to explain things differently in order to match everyone's way of understanding. This is something we very seldom see from other lecturers. Finally, he keeps things simple. Often, lecturers teach entire chapters full of abstract content without explaining why it is actually important, but Professor Pinho always drops small pieces of information reminding us about the significance of the current material. Further to his teaching, he shows us his cutting-edge research in composites, that makes everyone even more intrigued in structural failure and material crack propagation. Besides, he is the coordinator of our year team project, L2 Applications, where he encourages everyone to have innovative design and he also gives advice on how to improve teamwork."
"He is approach is flexible, energetic and humorous"
"All in all, Professor Pinho's clear and flexible methods are combined with a hint of humour and show great commitment in teaching, that, I believe perfectly represents the picture of Imperial College we are proud of: modern, professional teaching from a cutting-edge researcher."