Bob Ascah, Director of the Institute for Public Economics, Department of Economics at the University of Alberta is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert J. (Bob) Fessenden as a Fellow of the Institute. Dr. Fessenden retired as the Deputy Minister of the Premier’s Council on Economic Strategy in October. Prior to this posting, he served as deputy minister in four provincial government departments. “Bob brings a wealth of policy-making and practical experience to the Institute as both a deputy and as the former President of the Alberta Science and Research Authority,” said Ascah. “His insights into resource development, scientific innovation and the role of government are a welcome addition to the Institute’s roster of Fellows.”
Bob Fessenden's Bio
R.J. (Bob) Fessenden recently retired as Deputy Minister of the Premier's Council for Economic Strategy, Government of Alberta. From 1999, Dr. Fessenden served as Deputy Minister in four different departments: Economic Development; Sustainable Resource Development; Innovation and Science; and Advanced Education and Technology.
Previously a staff member at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Fessenden taught courses in forest soil science from 1967 to 1978. In 1978, he joined Syncrude Canada Ltd. as Head of the Terrestrial Environment Section in the Environmental Affairs Department where he was responsible for land reclamation planning and research and environmental impact assessment. From 1982 to 1995, Dr. Fessenden held a variety of positions at the Alberta Research Council including Head of the Soils and Terrain Sciences departments and Vice-President of the Natural Resources, Resource Technologies, Development and Planning, and Research Operations divisions. In 1995, he was appointed as President of the Alberta Science and Research Authority where he served until 1999.
Dr. Fessenden completed his B.Sc.F. at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Toronto in 1965, his M.Sc. in Microbiology at the University of Guelph in 1967, and his PhD in Microbiology at McGill University in 1976.