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Associate Professor (Teaching)
Biography
Alex is a Lecturer (Teaching) and Programme Director of the MSc in Global Management of Natural Resources MSc programme, a degree delivered by both UCL in London and The University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Alex has been with Chemical Engineering since the MSc began in 2016, and his focus is largely on ensuring an enriching learning experience for students on the programme. Alex also supports the department with a range of quality assurance activities in the teaching space.
Alex's background is in geology and mineral processing with a particular focus on froth flotation, a physico-chemical process by which minerals are separated from their host ores. Alex's current research interests in mining also extend to process metallurgy and wider issues regarding the sustainability of the industry. Alex also has pedagogic research interests in interdisciplinary programme design and management, as well as learning and assessment strategies in higher education.
Teaching Summary
Alex has a teaching background in geology, resource identification, hard rock mining, mineral processing, metallurgy, and environmental practice with respect to these industries. At UCL Alex teaches two modules: CENG0035 Mineral Usage, Extraction and Processing and CENG0036 Prevention and Remediation of Environmental Contamination. Alex contributes towards the delivery of CENG0037 Dissertation for MSc GMNR students. He also contributes towards fieldwork and assessment in geology and sustainability in modules associated with the MSc programme.
Alex is particularly interested in teaching students with a range of academic backgrounds, with the teaching designed to provide broad engagement and opportunity for the spectrum of student experiences encountered in multidisciplinary environments. Alex is also the programme director of the MSc in Global Management of Natural Resources, and in that capacity strives to ensure the programme and its content remains up to date and relevant for the intended learning outcomes and the long-term aims of graduates.
Research Summary
Alex's pedagogic research focuses on several areas including interdisciplinary programme design, postgraduate programme management, adaptations for student fieldwork and new learning and assessment strategies for students on engineering degrees. Output ranges from presentations and posters to conference papers covering these fields. The broader research aim is to improve both the learning experience and outcomes for students undertaking interdisciplinary programmes of study, particularly at postgraduate level.
Alex also supports research activities for undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students in fields connected to his earlier research in mining and mineral processing. These include broader studies on critical minerals demand, new technologies and developments in the mining and mineral processing, and novel processes and analytical techniques in metallurgical fields. These research engagements all contribute towards improving the sustainability of these industries through a range of initiatives.
Awards
2015
Faculty Postgradaute Teaching Assistant of the Year, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London
Education
2015
PhD, Mineral Processing (Chemical Engineering), Imperial College London, U.K.
2011
MSci, Geology, Imperial College London, U.K.
Professional Affiliations
- SFHEA – senior member of HEA
- CEng – chartered engineer
- CSci – chartered scientist
- MIMMM - member of the IOM3 (Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
- FGS (Fellow of the Geological Society of London)
Publications
- Norori-McCormac, A., Brito-Parada, P.R., Hadler, K., Cole, K., and Cilliers, J.J., (2017). The effect of particle size distribution on froth stability in flotation. Separation and Purification Technology, 184, 240–247.
- Norori-McCormac, A., Mackay, I., and Sorensen, E., (2022). The use of student numbers to randomise remote quantitative and qualitative assessment in response to the Covid-19 pandemic - Strathprints. In: 8th International Symposium for Engineering Education. Glasgow.