• Home
• Media
• News
• 2025
• John McLeod honoured with Engineering Award of Recognition for transformative leadership in accreditation and teaching

John McLeod honoured with Engineering Award of Recognition for transformative leadership in accreditation and teaching

John McLeod, assistant professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Western Engineering, has been named a recipient of this year’s Engineering Award of Recognition. This honour celebrates outstanding contributions to advancing the Faculty’s academic and administrative mission.

Reflecting on the recognition, McLeod said, “I am honoured and pleased by the recognition. It is particularly encouraging to have service work recognized—typically research and teaching excellence take the spotlight. Still, service and administration work are vitally important to the smooth operation of the department.”

Widely recognized for his visionary leadership and technical expertise, McLeod played a central role in one of the Faculty’s most successful Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) evaluations.

“John’s unwavering commitment to the department and the Faculty of Engineering has had a profound and lasting impact,” one colleague wrote. “His efforts have not only addressed immediate accreditation needs but have laid the foundation for sustainable and efficient processes moving forward.”

As Vice-Chair and now Chair of the Faculty’s Quality Assurance Committee (QAC), McLeod led efforts to refine the graduate attribute assessment process across four major programs: Computer, Electrical, Mechatronic Systems and Software Engineering. His most notable contribution—developing an open-source, automated system to collect, analyze and visualize graduate attribute data—revolutionized the department’s approach to accreditation.

“This system, built practically from scratch, drastically improved both the efficiency and accuracy of our accreditation reporting,” a nominator noted. “It allowed QAC members to focus on improvement instead of wrestling with data inconsistencies.”

His colleagues describe him as someone who “stepped up when others couldn’t complete their tasks,” “pulled data from OWL and formatted it beautifully,” and “basically put together the entire CEAB Graduate Attribute Report.” The significance of his work cannot be overstated.

McLeod’s selflessness was also a recurring theme in nomination letters. Despite the workload, he sacrificed two summers to ensure the department was ready for the rigorous demands of accreditation.

“He never sought recognition or complained,” a nominator wrote. “When others missed deadlines, he quietly picked up the slack. His humility, patience and clarity empowered faculty across the department.”

When asked what inspired him through the process, McLeod pointed to both leadership and collaboration: “Abdallah Shami was a great inspiration as the chair of the committee for his transparent leadership and frank assessment of the challenges ahead. The administrative staff members Charlotte Kurs and Cherryl Fredette were also a constant source of support. The other members of the committee were vital to our success and it was heartening to see how all members of the department recognized the importance of the accreditation procedure and were willing to provide all the required information from their courses.”

He added, “I was also inspired and motivated by the students in the program; the EE, SE, CE and MSE undergraduate programs at Western Engineering are excellent and attract top-quality students. Our challenge with the accreditation process was not the educational quality, but how we presented that quality and our best practices in a format required by CEAB.”

But McLeod’s impact is not limited to accreditation.

An exceptional educator, he teaches courses across multiple levels, often handling classes with more than 200 students. He is known for adapting his teaching strategies to make complex engineering concepts accessible and engaging.

“John is an exceptional teaching scholar,” one colleague remarked. “His innovative teaching methods enhance student learning and create a rigorous yet supportive academic environment.”

Faculty who worked closely with him describe him as approachable, collegial and collaborative. “I significantly benefited from his prompt feedback and insight,” one said. “He was always positive and engaging—even in committee meetings and thesis exams.”

Another added, “Without any exaggeration, I think John deserves a plaque somewhere in the Thompson Engineering Building for his work on accreditation.”

In total, McLeod’s nomination was supported by 13 additional letters from faculty across Western Engineering, a testament to the widespread recognition of his contributions.

For others aspiring to achieve similar recognition, McLeod offered this advice: “Try and apply data-driven, evidence-based analysis to service work whenever possible. You never know what kind of insight might be discovered.”

“John’s work has had a transformative impact on our department,” one letter summed up. “His efforts will continue to benefit Western Engineering for years to come.”