Movers & Shakers
LATITUDE
Movers & Shakers
gineering faculty undergo enormous expansion. Under his leadership, the faculty more than doubled in size, with the addition of 110,000 square metres of teaching and research space. And for his last day as dean on June 30, he opened the new Donadeo Innova- tion Centre for Engineering, adding another 26,360 square metres of space to the mix. Dr. Lynch saw 5,000 students DAY OF THE DEAN Dr. David Lynch, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), (left) receives a proclamation from City of Edmonton Coun. Mike Nickel declaring June 30 as David Lynch Day.
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY GILLIAN BENNETT The PEG
DISTINGUISHED DEAN HAS HIS DAY
After 21 years as Dean of Engineering at the University of Alberta, David Lynch, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) , finally has a day to call his own. By proclamation of Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, June 30 will now and forever be known as David Lynch Day. Such proclamations don’t happen often — they’re awarded only to individuals or groups that have supported the betterment of society through education and charitable works. Dr. Lynch, the University of Alberta’s longest-serving Dean of Engineering, certainly fits the bill. During his time in the position, he oversaw the education of more than 13,000 undergraduates, or more than 50 per cent of the 25,000-plus engineering undergrads who’ve studied at the U of A over the past 107 years. When Dr. Lynch was first appointed interim dean in 1994, it was something of a surprise for the chemical engineering professor. Alberta was in the midst of a serious budget crisis and post-sec- ondary funding was being slashed. The University of Alberta was in a state of disarray — the president having resigned on short notice — and the vacant dean position needed to be filled. The acting president called Dr. Lynch and, with just three days’ notice, told him he would be appointed acting dean. Despite the tumultuous times, Dr. Lynch was able to look to the future, drafting a plan that would see the en-
earn their master's or doctoral degrees — 75 per cent of all
engineering graduate degrees ever awarded at the U of A. His focus was always on students, in keeping with his conviction that skilled, creative types are what ensure a prosperous society. “There’s one thing there is no shortage of, and that’s human creativity…" Dr. Lynch told the Edmonton Journal. "We always seem to be able to find solutions to the challenges of the day.” To celebrate his achievements, APEGA and the Alberta Chamber of Resources held a special recognition event for Dr. Lynch on June 23 at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre. Over 300 people were on hand to honour his achievements. Dr. Lynch — on administrative leave to refocus on his education and research — is a professor of chemi- cal engineering with the Faculty of Engineering.
CIVIL ENGINEER SHOOTS FOR GOLD
Being a straight-shooter has taken on a whole new meaning for Lynda Kiejko, P.Eng. A senior civil engineer with AltaLink, Ms. Kiejko took home two gold medals for pistol shooting this summer
16 | PEG FALL 2015
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