A new initiative aimed at broadening students’ perspectives through humanities lectures is underway in the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster.
The Terrence Hoffman Humanities Professor-in-Residence, generously funded by and named for the founding member and former chair of McMaster’s Department of Chemical Engineering, will deliver two humanities lectures to engineering students during the 2024-25 academic year.
Appointed to the role is Manuel Vasquez Villavicencio, assistant professor of philosophy in McMaster’s Faculty of Humanities. He began his career as an engineer, making him uniquely qualified to align his humanities lectures to an engineering audience.
“I am deeply honoured to have been named the inaugural Terrence Hoffman Professor-in-Residence,” says Vasquez Villavicencio. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to reflect with our engineering students about the contributions that the humanities can bring to their formation and future professional practice. I am confident that by getting exposed to humanistic ideas that they can integrate into their academic training and expand in their professional lives, they will help to create a better world where technological advancements take the well-being of human beings in all their diversity as the highest objective.”
Vasquez Villavicencio’s lectures will introduce knowledge and concepts that broaden both historical and contemporary perspectives. His first lecture focused on the fundamental role of emotions in human thinking, while the second will explore curiosity in the philosophy of David Hume, the renowned Scottish philosopher and historian.
Terrence Hoffman, a pioneering force in advancing computer process simulation, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, established the Professor-in-Residence position to help develop the next generation of well-rounded engineers—those who have a deeper understanding of human culture, creativity and empathy.
In 1968, when Hoffman was working in the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster, he invited experts in various humanities subjects to present a one-hour talk in their field to the entire engineering student body. The success of that initiative inspired him to revive the idea with this current opportunity.
“I have always felt that my interest in the Humanities, which has grown over the years, has played an important part in my successful professional and social life,” he says. “I hope that this Humanities Lecture program sparks a similar chord in engineering students at McMaster.”
Developing agile engineers positioned to engineer a brighter future is codified in McMaster Engineering’s Strategic Plan. Heather Sheardown, Dean of Engineering, emphasized the importance of the initiative for realizing this vision.
“I’m delighted that our students will benefit from Terrence Hoffman’s generosity and foresight in creating a position that helps open minds to new ways of thinking,” she says. “Our students will be engineering solutions for diverse groups and will gain valuable insights and new perspectives as they complete their technical course requirements.”
Vasquez Villavicencio’s residency will conclude on June 30, 2025.