Dr. Howard E. Tennant, President and Professor Emeritus, University of Lethbridge

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE ALBERTA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY
Honourary Scientist, Honoured Advocate

Dr. Howard E. Tennant is adamant that he is not a scientist. “I am out of the School of Business. I have done work in science, but I am anything but a scientist,” he protests.
It is an understatement to say Dr. Tennant, a member of the Order of Canada, has “done work in science.”

Over his 30-plus-year career as academic, leader, policy maker and volunteer, this modest man has made a huge difference in promoting and advancing the science and technology sector in Alberta and Canada and arguably, the world. He has never wavered from his mission to create an environment where public policy and public funds support innovation and research.

“My area of interest is in policy and strategy as it relates to science and technology,” Dr. Tennant says. “I worry about how to attract the best people, build the right buildings, put the right equipment in place to see that excellence in research produces the best students in the world.”
During his tenure as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, over $100 million of capital expansion took place and enrolment grew from just over 2,000 to over 7,000 students. The university established masters and PhD programs and became a centre for research and scholarly work.

Despite his impressive track record in building facilities and creating world-class faculties, Dr. Tennant acknowledges that is only one piece of the puzzle.
“Some people’s job is to build universities and colleges, but we also need someone to think about what Alberta needs. And sometimes there’s a trade-off,” he admits.

Dr. Tennant is well aware that Alberta’s oil and gas fields are only a means to create wealth and not an end in itself.
“Yes, we have energy, but now we have to work on how to get value out of it while maintaining a decent world and a good quality of living,” he explains. “Science and technology are the critical ingredients in that and the only way we can earn our bread.”