About the Institute

In September 2015, President Philip Hanlon '77 appointed a task force to study the possibility of creating an institute focused on the challenges posed by energy.  The task force visited eight college campuses, started planning for the academic and physical structure of the institute, and began engaging faculty and students in discussion. Task force members included Christopher Levey, an associate professor of engineering at Thayer School of Engineering; Jay Hull, associate dean of the faculty for the social sciences; F. Jon Kull, dean of the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies; Michael Zubkoff, professor of health economics and management at the Tuck School of Business and director of the MD/MBA program at Dartmouth; Ross Virginia, director of Dartmouth's Institute of Arctic Studies and the Myers Family Professor of Environmental Studies; and Robert Hansen, the Norman W. Martin 1925 Professor of Business Administration at Tuck.

Arthur L. Irving, along with his wife, Sandra Irving, and their daughter, Sarah Irving '10, Tuck '14, generously agreed to support Dartmouth's efforts to take on the broader energy and society challenge, resulting in the creation of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society. 

In 2017, Dartmouth hired a faculty director, Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, to lead the new institute. Dr. Wilson, Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth, served as the Institute's founding director from 2017 until 2022. Executive Director April M. Salas served as executive director from May 2022 - June 2024. Interim Faculty Director Geoff Parker was appointed in October 2023. 

Construction on the new home for the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, a high-performance building located at the west end of campus between the Tuck School of Business and the Thayer School of Engineering, began in October 2019. The facility opened in March 2022. 

The Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society was established with contributions from Irving Oil, the Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation, the late Arthur L. Irving, Sandra Irving, and Sarah Irving.

About Arthur L. Irving

arthur_irving-history.jpg

Arthur Irving grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and attended Acadia University before joining Irving Oil in 1951. He worked with his father, K.C. Irving, becoming President of Irving Oil in 1972. At the time of his passing in May 2024, Mr. Irving was the company's Chairman Emeritus. Throughout his career and his life, he demonstrated an enthusiasm and support for business, the environment, healthcare, research, community, and education.

A true friend and supporter of Dartmouth College, Arthur Irving along with his wife Sandra and daughter Sarah, gave the generous gift that enabled the establishment of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society. In addition to their ongoing care for the Institute and its mission in the world, Mr. Irving and his family funded scholarships at Dartmouth for Canadian students, developed an endowed chair for economics, and helped fund undergraduate students in business studies in partnership with the Tuck School of Business. Above all, students were at the core of Arthur Irving's commitment to Dartmouth and to the Irving Institute. As the parent of Sarah '10, TU'14, he spoke frequently about the impact that Dartmouth had in the life of his family. He was also deeply proud of the Irving Institute and its mission to advance a sustainable energy future in service of society.

Arthur Irving's commitment to education and community extended well beyond Dartmouth. From 1996 to 2010, he served as Chancellor of Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. In 2002, he, together with his brothers, James and Jack, established the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens on the Acadia campus, in honor of their parents. In 2014, he created the Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation Scholarships in Environmental Science. 

Arthur and Sandra Irving helped students achieve their dreams in supporting student scholarships at the University of New Brunswick, St. Thomas University, St. Mary's University, Université de Moncton, Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, University of Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton University, and Dartmouth College. Arthur Irving has furthermore supported young people in their pursuits in business in the important work of Junior Achievement in New Brunswick. 

He was also a loyal supporter of many community initiatives in healthcare, and other important causes that make a difference in individual and community lives – having established a Chair in Neurology at The Lahey Hospital and Chairs in Cardiology and Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 2002, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2012, he received the Order of New Brunswick for his lifelong work as a builder of the province's economy and for his devotion to preserving our natural environment. In 1997, Arthur Irving was inducted into the New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. He received a Doctor of Civil Laws, from Acadia University in 2003; and was granted the title of Chancellor Emeritus in 2010. In 2009, he received an honorary degree from the University of New Brunswick and in 2010, he received an honorary degree from Dartmouth.

In 2013, Arthur Irving received the Red Cross Humanitarian Award for outstanding leadership and in 2019, the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Saint John, for exemplifying the Rotary motto of "service above self."

About Sandra Irving

sandra_irving_history.jpg

Sandra Irving was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Toronto.

Sandra Irving is a strong supporter of education and healthcare research having established student scholarships at Atlantic Canadian universities and at the University of Toronto. In the US, at Dartmouth College, she and Arthur Irving endowed a professorship, undergraduate studies in business, and scholarships for Canadian students. Together, they established endowed Chairs in Cardiology and Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Chair in Neurology at Lahey Hospital. 

Sandra received recognition for her commitment to recognizing Canada's leading scholars in being named an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canada's senior national, bilingual council of distinguished Canadian scholars, humanists, scientists and artists. In 2014, Sandra was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Saint John for her many years of 'service above self.' She was presented with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her volunteer and public service activities in 2012. Sandra is an honorary degree recipient from the University of New Brunswick, Acadia University, St. Thomas University, St. Mary's University, and Dalhousie University. 

In 2016, Sandra was named to the Order of Canada, one of Canada's highest honors, for her outstanding service to her country. In 2019, she was recognized by the Canadian Red Cross in New Brunswick with the Humanitarian Award, honoring those whose leadership inspires others to pursue humanitarian goals.

In 2022, Sandra received the Order of New Brunswick, which honors current or former long-time residents of New Brunswick, Canada, who have demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, having made outstanding contributions to the social, cultural or economic well-being of New Brunswick and its residents.

About Sarah Irving

sarah-irving-history.jpg

Sarah Irving is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Irving Oil, an international oil refining and marketing company that operates, among other assets, Canada's largest oil refinery. Sarah is pleased to represent the Arthur Irving family on the Advisory Committee of the foundation named in recognition of her late father, Arthur Irving. Sarah was one of the founding members in the establishment of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and is proud of this opportunity to support Dartmouth College and to recognize her father.

Sarah received her BA cum laude from Dartmouth College and her MBA from the Tuck School of Business in 2014. In addition, Sarah has experience in the strategy consulting practice of Deloitte. 

Sarah resides in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and contributes significantly to a number of Canadian charitable foundations and not-for-profit boards.

About Irving Oil

Irving Oil is a family-owned and privately held international energy company. For 100 years, Irving Oil's commitment to doing good business has been grounded in its commitment to people – to employees, customers, communities and partners. Founded in 1924, the company's mission is focused on continued evolution to meet the changing needs of customers. Specializing in the refining and marketing of finished energy products, Irving Oil operates Canada's largest refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, and Ireland's only refinery located in the village of Whitegate. The company proudly serves customers with more than 1,000 fuelling locations and a network of distribution terminals spanning Eastern Canada, New England and in Ireland, operating under the Top brand. Named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for eight consecutive years, Irving Oil is proud of its team and its longstanding commitment to customers and communities. Learn more at www.irvingoil.com.

About the Irving Foundation

The Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation is a registered charity in Canada that is guided by the values of Arthur and Sandra Irving, and their strong advocacy for the value of education in society. At universities and colleges in the United States and Canada, the foundation supports various initiatives with a strong focus on student advancement and scholarship, including several prestigious scholarship programs, as well as research and academic programming.