David Lynch

David Lynch – Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta
Influential Icon: Engineered for success

Under the leadership of David Lynch, the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering has become one of the biggest and best schools in North America with 4,300 full-time students.

By the time an ambitious expansion is completed in 2005, which will include the $65-million Markin/CNRL Natural Resources Engineering Facility and the $120-million NRC National Institute for Nanotechnology, the chemical engineer hopes his engineering school will vault into the elite in the continent. In addition to his school producing groundbreaking research that discovered a new way to produce electricity for the first time in 160 years, Lynch has also proved a formidable fundraiser, whether it is getting research dollars (a $10.7-million combined grant from federal and provincial governments) or building partnerships with the private sector. These abilities have gained Lynch accolades outside the ivory tower as Alberta Chamber of Resources recognized him as 2004 Resource Person of the Year.

Q: The engineering faculty has grown substantially in recent years, attracting a great deal of research and donation dollars. How much bigger does the faculty need to get to meet demand and how do you plan to grow it?

A: We currently have 3,250 undergraduate and 1,050 graduate students. We could see that rise to a total of about 5,000 students over the next several years. We can meet that with the strong demand of students wanting to come in. We have many times the number of applicants as we allow in. On the resource side, we’ve enjoyed very strong support from the Alberta government as well as our natural partners in the community, including alumni, corporations, foundations and others. Through that combination, we believe we can grow sustainably to those levels.

Q: What is the best thing about living in Alberta? What’s the most frustrating thing?

A: The best thing is the knowledge that almost anything is possible in Alberta. The opportunities in Alberta are truly as unlimited as one’s imagination and willingness to persevere to realize them. The most frustrating thing is that many opportunities can sometimes create fragmentation of effort.

Q: What one situation do you wish you could have the chance to face again and how would you respond differently?

A: We developed a major proposal that involved several months of work to apply for very significant support from a federal government agency for the Markin/CNRL Natural Resources Engineering Facility. This proposal was not approved, which almost killed this major project. We were so focused on making the case on why this project was so important for us, we did not sufficiently address the broader context of why it was so important to the federal agency and the country. I would have taken the focus off us and put it on the partner. Fortunately, we were able to secure funding from alternate sources but there were a lot of nights that I spent thinking about that proposal.

Q: What keeps you sane?

A: A couple of things. I have a somewhat unusual sense of humour, by finding wry humour in any situation, which gets you through some tough spots. And also the knowledge of the incredible depth of support for the Faculty of Engineering and University of Alberta in the broader community really helps keep me on track.

Q: Which of these best describes you: Dreamer, Decision-Maker or Doer?

A: I’m probably best described as a decision-maker, who also enjoys rolling up the sleeves and working with the team to get things done.

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