Dr. Annette Trimbee

Dr. Annette Trimbee, BSc, MSc, PhD
Past President and Honorary Officiant

Dr. Annette Trimbee’s impact on The University of Winnipeg will be felt for generations.

During her six years as President and Vice-Chancellor from 2014 – 2020, she accomplished many great things by fostering collaborative partnerships, both on- and off-campus.

Prior to her arrival at UWinnipeg, Dr. Trimbee served as Deputy Minister of several departments in the Alberta government, including the Finance and Treasury Board, and Advanced Education and Technology.

One of her biggest achievements was creating a blueprint for a series of strategic directions that have guided planning and decision making at all levels of the University. Five key areas became a focus during Dr. Trimbee’s time at UWinnipeg: academic excellence and renewal; student experience and success; Indigenization; research excellence, knowledge mobilization, and impact; and financial and institutional resilience.

Under Dr. Trimbee, UWinnipeg’s approach to advancing reconciliation was informed by the seminal Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In September 2016, UWinnipeg become one of the first universities in the country to implement an Indigenous Course Requirement, necessitating all undergraduate students to select a three-credit-hour course in which the greater part of the content is local Indigenous material.

Dr. Trimbee oversaw the completion and opening of several new student-orientated buildings designed to promote scholarship and community interactions: Leatherdale Hall, a bright, welcoming space connected to Wesley Hall; and Merchants Corner in Winnipeg’s North End, a former hotel transformed into an education hub offering community-based educational and cultural programs.

Research funding also increased greatly during Dr. Trimbee’s tenure, as UWinnipeg faculty received more than $12 million in external funding during her final full year at the University — the highest level of research revenue in UWinnipeg’s history.

Environmental sustainability was moved to the forefront during her time as President and Vice-Chancellor as well, and UWinnipeg continues to lead the country with an assertive target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.

Shortly before her departure for MacEwan University in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the delay of Spring Convocation, which was to have been Dr. Trimbee’s last as President and Vice-Chancellor.

We proudly welcome Dr. Annette Trimbee back to The University of Winnipeg, where she will address the graduating Class of 2021 at our 119th Convocation and see her presidential portrait unveiled in Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex.