Rate My Professor Liz Smith

Elizabeth (Liz) Smith serves as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Civil Engineering and Construction, College of Engineering and Information Technology at Adelaide University. She earned her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) from the University of Adelaide in 2000. Her early career included roles as a Manufacturing Engineer at Kemalex Plastics in 2000 and Casual Consulting Engineer in the Turbulence, Energy and Combustion Research Group at the University of Adelaide from 2001 to 2005, alongside casual teaching positions as Course Developer, Lecturer, and Tutor at the same university. Joining the University of South Australia in 2006 as a Lecturer Level A, she advanced through positions such as Program Director for Civil Engineering (2012-2020), Lecturer Level B (2014-2016), Program Director for Masters Civil Engineering Programs (2016-2017), Senior Lecturer (2017-present), Program Director for Associate Degree in Engineering (2019-2020), and Academic Lead for Professional Practice Program (2020-2025). Smith's research focuses on engineering education, professional skills development, and curriculum design and mapping.

Recognized for her excellence in teaching, Smith has garnered several prestigious awards, including the 2022 Honourable Mention, STEM/FII Team Award for Teaching Excellence (University of South Australia), 2014 Office for Teaching and Learning National Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, 2014 UniSA Indigenous Education Award, 2013 UniSA Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, and 2008 UniSA Enhanced Learning Award (Division of ITEE). Her influential publications include "Curriculum renewal to enhance the acquisition of professional skills and engagement with professional practice across engineering programs" (Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 2024), "Developing perceptions of teamwork in first and second year engineering students" (AAEE 2024), "Optimising Moodle quizzes for online assessments" (International Journal of STEM Education, 2019), "Prediction of students' performances using course analytics data: a case of water engineering course" (Education Sciences, 2019), and "Exploring ways that ePortfolios can support the progressive development of graduate qualities and professional competencies" (Higher Education Research and Development, 2013). These works underscore her significant contributions to advancing pedagogical innovations and student outcomes in engineering education.