I received the 2025 Golden Apple Award.
On April 2025 I received the Golden Apple Award.
Overview
On April 6th 2025 I had the pleasure of attending the 2025 Engineering Society banquet, and I absolutely loved it. I should clarify that this event was entirely organized, planned, and ran by students, and it was WONDERFUL. During the night more than 20 awards were presented to students and faculty members that made a significant impact on the Queen’s community. The amount of appreciation and care that students have for one another at this university is truly moving, and something I have never seen anywhere else. It was just beautiful to witness, and this is the reason I LOVE working in this institution.
The Golden Apple was created in December of 1970 by the Engineering Society Development Committee as a means for undergraduate students to honor faculty members. I was nominated for the Golden Apple award by a student (Ian) who made a speech I will hardly forget. Here it is:
There are professors who teach the material—and then there are professors who make students feel truly seen. This one brings a remarkable energy to every lecture, delivering thermodynamics and fluid mechanics concepts with clarity, passion, and a spark that makes learning feel exciting.
They take the time to get to know their students, learning names and checking in—not just academically, but personally. They regularly gather feedback and, more impressively, act on it—always looking for ways to make their courses better.
Their care extends beyond the classroom. Whether it’s asking how the week is going, attending the Tron hockey game with their family, or hanging out in student spaces, they make it clear that students matter.
They lead with humility, warmth, and a deep respect for their students—never putting themselves on a pedestal, and always creating a space where students feel comfortable and supported.
For their energy in the classroom, their compassion outside of it, their commitment to student growth, and their unwavering dedication to making engineering education better every single day—it is with deep appreciation and admiration that I present the Golden Apple Award to Francesco Ambrogi.
Ian’s words means everything to me, and they are probably more important than the Award itself. I became a professor today because about 7 years ago another professor made an impact on my academic and learning journey. My biggest dream is to do the same to the new generations of leaders, engineers, and young professionals, and Ian’s words made me realize I might just be on the right track!
Thanks everyone!
Dr. Ambrogi Francesco
Adjunct assistant professor
My research interests include boundary layer theory, particle-laden flows, computational fluid dynamics, direct numerical and large eddy simulations of turbulent flows.