Mohammad Moshirpour, who joined UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) in January as an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Informatics, was recently recognized for exemplary contributions to teaching and learning. Moshirpour, previously an associate professor of electrical and software engineering at the University of Calgary, received a Summit Award for Excellence in Education from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).

“This award highlights the importance of collaborative and hands-on learning, as well as the significance of industry-academia partnerships to enhance student learning,” says Moshirpour, who developed a one-year, hands-on master’s degree program in software engineering at the University of Calgary. His industry collaborations and multidisciplinary initiatives include a strategic advisory role at Userful, as well as the creation of Ignitingale, a platform that allows software engineering students to collaborate with healthcare students and professionals on joint projects. 

Moshirpour plans to continue working on collaborative projects to unite different fields, applying technical expertise in developing innovative solutions to real-world problems.

“A key component of my collaborative learning approach at UCI is to achieve a balance between teaching fundamental concepts,” says Moshirpour, “and their software engineering applications through contextualized learning and industry projects.”

Moshirpour will be honored at the 2023 Summit Awards virtual gala on April 27, 2023.

— Shani Murray