UNews - Professor of Chemistry

Pioneer Holmes looks back at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's beginnings

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:49:33 +0000

A chemist, teacher, and university administrator, Dr. Owen Holmes (LLD '05) helped shape the character of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a liberal arts institution.

Holmes began his career as a research chemist, making significant discoveries in electron spectroscopy, before turning to teaching and administration on the Regina campus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan. He later moved to the Lethbridge Junior College, where he became acting principal, and then Dean of the Academic Section and Professor of Chemistry. When the Academic Section of the college became the nucleus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Holmes was the institution's first dean of Arts and Science. He went on to become the vice-president (academic) of the U of L, in which capacity he served for a decade.

As an academic leader of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, he infused the academic and administrative sides of the institution with the philosophy of liberal education. His great achievement was to create a successful liberal education program, the first in western Canadian post-secondary education and an approach that was less than popular at the time.

Many of the ideas Holmes implemented - liberal arts education, small class sizes, independent research opportunities, and student-professor interaction - have shaped the unique character of the U of L and have persisted in the institution to this day.

Holmes's leadership and vision contributed immensely to the success of the fledgling ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and he has dedicated much of his career to creating and consolidating the U of L's reputation of academic excellence.

As he neared retirement, Holmes embarked on a new career as an archivist for the U of L and the City of Lethbridge. When he retired from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, he continued to serve in educational and social service agencies in Lethbridge.

Fitzpatrick accepts Regina post

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:57:23 +0000

Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the Vice-President Research Emeritus at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has accepted a position as the Vice-President, Research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, beginning in July, 2011.

Fitzpatrick joined the U of L in 1999, and significantly expanded the research footprint of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in many directions.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Dennis. His contributions here were significant, and we wish him well in this new role at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

During his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick made a significant contribution to expanding the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research beyond grant management to include strategic planning, team building, project development and the funding of numerous large institutional research initiatives in all three of the Tri-Council research domains.

Notable successes included the development of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's first industry partnership with the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Corporation, the funding of the Albert Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, a SSHRC Community ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Research Alliance Grant, an NSERC Capacity Development Grant and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award.

Prior to becoming Vice-President (Research) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick held a series of academic and administrative appointments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. He began his academic career at that university after graduating in 1981 with his PhD from Rutgers ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in New Jersey.

Fitzpatrick earns ASTech honour

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:02:48 +0000

Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick the U of L's former vice-president (Research), and now a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, recently received the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) award for Outstanding Contribution to the Science and Technology community.

When Fitzpatrick arrived at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1999 as the new VP Research, he had a mandate to create nationally recognized programs. He recognized the small university had a modest research profile and a pool of good researchers. He also knew that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta had a long history of research that overshadowed the U of L's limited resources.

ASTech award presenter Dr. Robert Haché of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, left, presents to the U of L's Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick.

"It was like opening up a corner store beside a major retail chain," says Fitzpatrick. Because the U of L was low on resources, Fitzpatrick says he had to find ways to build them.

"This was challenging in Alberta because of the province's history of funding primarily meritorious institutions," he says. "We had to find leading-edge programs to get the funding. It was like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?"

Under Fitzpatrick's research leadership, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge evolved into a comprehensive research and instructional university with strong ties to the provincial technology community. During the last 10 years, the university's research budget has grown from $2 million to almost $24 million in 2010.

"The money increases the kinds of opportunities that impact the lives of people in Alberta, and especially southern Alberta," says Fitzpatrick. His 'think big and shoot high' philosophy is fundamental to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's success, as is his vision to deliberately focus on developing specific areas with programs of instruction and research in tandem.

Fitzpatrick's strategic, thematic approach was instrumental to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's ability to develop expertise and become a centre of excellence in the following areas: neurosciences, water resources in semi-arid ecosystem, biotechnology, genomics biochemistry, earth imaging applications for integrated resource management and imaging technology and the study of demographics and population.

"When we built the research infrastructure, we looked beyond the individual researcher's needs to see if we could create a toolbox to serve many people," says Fitzpatrick. "When developing resources in the emerging field of neuroscience, the university department included biochemistry, biology and behavioural sciences because the field has such a broad-based focus."

"We didn't build only one lab, we built 10, opening up a whole new area of expertise," adds Fitzpatrick. "These are the kinds of things that pay off. People get involved in creative research partnerships that allow them to do research in better, more sophisticated ways. We're providing bright people with a whole new set of tools so they can now do remarkable research. And we're training a new generation of scientists in ways we never anticipated."

Paramount in Fitzpatrick's mind was, and is, providing opportunities for students.

"The primary product of research and the value of a university education is highly trained students and the opportunities it creates for them," he says. "Because of our system, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become a launching pad for students to go to graduate school and on to the rest of their careers."

This story originally appeared in the December issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Professor of Chemistry

Pioneer Holmes looks back at ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ's beginnings

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Pioneer Holmes looks back at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's beginnings