Ivan Finlay Award Fund
Under the stewardship of the past-presidents of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, the Ivan Finlay Award Fund supports undergraduate and graduate engineering and geoscience students who demonstrate the signature traits of inclusive leadership and leverage those traits to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in their campus or community activities.
Award History
Since the initiation of the awards, APEGA’s past-presidents have personally funded the Ivan Finlay Awards to support undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and geoscience programs. In 2022, to expand the reach and preserve the important legacy of these awards, the past-presidents converted them into an endowment fund and redefined the criteria to focus on inclusive leadership that advances equity, diversity, and inclusion. In addition, they opened the fund so anyone could donate and support future leaders in engineering and geoscience.
Who Was Ivan Finlay?
An electrical engineer by training, Ivan Finlay, P.Eng., FEC, rose through Alberta’s public service to become the chief electrical inspector. He then served as APEGA’s first full-time registrar from 1959 to 1978. He was known for his professionalism and integrity, his forward-looking perspective, and his unwavering confidence in the next generation.
During his tenure as APEGA’s executive director, he worked with 20 presidents, all of whom benefitted from his quiet and effective leadership and admired his open-mindedness and willingness to engage with all stakeholders. Upon his retirement, the past-presidents made him the first honorary member of the Order of the Vest – an annual tradition when an APEGA president’s one-year term ends. They also decided to honour their esteemed colleague by creating the Ivan Finlay Awards – a fitting way to recognize in the next generation the leadership traits Ivan Finlay exemplified during his career.
Donate to This Fund
Fill out the form below to contribute a one-time donation, or set up a recurring monthly donation to the Ivan Finlay Award Fund.
Please note: Donations made to any fund listed on our online directory will be processed by www.canadahelps.org. You will receive an electronic tax receipt directly from CanadaHelps for the full amount of your donation. The fund you are supporting will receive the net amount of your donation less the CanadaHelps processing fee.