UOIT's Rupinder Brar advances to Top 10 in TVO Best Lecturer Competition

Lecturer could win $10,000 scholarship for future students

Oshawa, Ont. - Dr. Rupinder Brar, a lecturer at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), has been named a finalist in TVO's 2010 Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition. This is the second time that Dr. Brar has reached the Top 10 of the provincewide competition.

A Physics lecturer in the Faculty of Science at UOIT, Dr. Brar was selected as a finalist from a group of more than 300 lecturers from institutions across Ontario who were nominated by students and alumni for their passion for teaching and knowledge in their chosen field.

"I'm very excited to be representing UOIT in the competition," said Dr. Brar."UOIT has fantastic lecturers and professors, and it is great that it's being acknowledged outside of our walls."

Lectures by the 10 finalists will begin on Saturday, March 6 and will run each Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. until April 4. Dr. Brar will be featured on Saturday, March 20 delivering Exoplanets: The Search for Other Earths.

"Teaching is my passion and being nominated as best lecturer by my students is very rewarding," he said. "It is a thrill to get in front of a classroom and communicate new ideas and to interact with young minds."

Viewers can cast their vote for the best lecturer on www.tvo.org/bigideas or by calling 1.877.792.8683 from Tuesday, April 6 to Sunday, April 11. Results of the viewer voting will be revealed online and during Big Ideas on Saturday, April 17. If Dr. Brar is selected as Ontario's top lecturer, a $10,000 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex scholarship will be awarded to UOIT.

Dr. Brar joined UOIT as Physics lecturer when the university opened its doors in 2003. He earned his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics, Astronomy and Mathematical Science degree from the University of Toronto and went on to complete his Master of Science in Physics and Astronomy degree from the University of Waterloo and his PhD in Physics from Queen's University. While at Queen's he was awarded the Christopher Knapper Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance. During graduate school, Dr. Brar researched the halos of spiral galaxies while at the same time he discovered his love for teaching Physics and Astronomy to undergraduate students.

When he is not teaching, Dr. Brar conducts astrophysics research and is actively involved in a wide range of cultural, environmental and political groups.

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Melissa Levy
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Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2513
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melissa.levy@uoit.ca