Change your point of view
Abstract:The challenges related to energy production and consumption are – first and foremost – design problems, not technological problems. After all, the field of design is about imagining new possibilities that can transform the present. This seminar will focus on the importance of changing the way we design and analyze energy conversion systems and how we might reconceptualize our relationship with energy. These steps are deemed to be crucial for resolving the global energy challenges.
Bio: Leon Liebenberg is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the UIUC and inaugural fellow of the UIUC’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Leon’s university research has focused on development of industrial energy-efficient technologies and cancer therapies using energy restriction methods, as well as developing novel pedagogies of engagement. At the UIUC he founded the strategic instructional innovations program called ENGINE (ENgaGement In eNgineering Education), where he collaborates with 20 faculty and graduates from various disciplines. In 2021, Leon co-founded the Sustainability Competition for Undergraduate Students, which draws more than 165 competitors a year. In 2023 the competition will be a fully-fledged international competition.
Leon teaches a variety of subjects, including Innovation, Statics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Automatic Control Systems, Design for Manufacturability, Mechanical Design, Energy Conversion Systems, Heat Transfer, Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer. Leon won the Rose Award for Teaching Excellence in 2021, two Two-Year Alumni Teaching Awards (2022, 2023), and several Outstanding Advisor Awards. He has been voted onto the Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students list every year since beginning lecturing at UIUC in 2018. Leon has authored a textbook on energy systems which Wiley will publish in late-2023. The book features the pedagogies of engagement which Leon also employs in his classes.
Leon Liebenberg holds a diploma in advanced mechanical engineering from the University of London, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London, and bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Johannesburg. Leon Liebenberg enjoys an h-index of 30.
