Margaret-Ann Armour

Margaret-Ann Armour was a member of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta for over 30 years -- so starts a summary of her career. Such a succinct statement may suffice for academic purposes, but as the lead-in to an amazing biography, it does not do justice. How about... Margaret-Ann Armour is one of those rare human beings who is best described as a force of Nature, infecting everyone she met with a passion for making this world a better place to be. Meeting Margaret-Ann was an experience few could forget.

When you first met Margaret-Ann, you are immediately struck by her smile, the glint in her eye, and her excitement. Life is an adventure, and she aimed to have an impact-filled journey. There seemed to be no such thing as negativity in her life. Even when she was dealing with serious health issues, it was never about what was wrong with her; it was always about what she would do once she got better. Life was something to be enjoyed to the fullest. Ever the optimist, there was no time to waste on pessimism. She -- and by extension, we -- could accomplish anything, if we just set our minds to it.

Margaret-Ann Armour doing what she loved best -- teaching! (Folio.ca)

I only got to know Margaret-Ann well when she was in her 70s. The energy she exuded put many of my colleagues to shame. She worked tirelessly for the Faculty of Science (despite having only a half-time contract), gave many dozens of talks a year, zigzagged across the county promoting women in science, and spent as much time as possible with the group that gave her the most satisfaction: K-12 learners. Her annual report of activities left me shaking my head: how could she possibly find time for everything she did? One can measure academic impact using the traditional metrics such as number of papers, citations, and research dollars. Or one can measure impact in terms of a non-traditional metric: number of lives touched.  Which one has the more long-term benefits to society?

Over the past three decades, Margaret-Ann has been a champion for women in general, but more specifically for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She co-started WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, & Technology) as a way to empower women in the male-dominated technology fields. In particular, WISEST reaches into the high schools and helps young women discover education and career pathways for themselves. Margaret-Ann's greatest love was working with students (young and old). She was always the teacher, and generations of students today will tell you their encounter with her was a turning point in their lives.

I have many stories of Margaret-Ann, but perhaps the following is the most impactful and appreciated of them all. I became Dean in 2012 and it did not take long before I realized we had a serious diversity problem in the Faculty: only 14% of the professoriate were female. Further, in the next two years there were a disproportionate number of female professors retiring, pushing our percentage down even further -- to an even-more embarrassing 11%. Something had to change. Margaret-Ann, age 75, started serving on every hiring committee. She made sure that committee members were aware of their biases (especially unconscious biases). She was proactive at getting qualified women to apply. No women earned a position because they were a women; they were simply the best candidate. When I stepped down as Dean in 2018, I am proud that through Margaret-Ann's indefatigable efforts we rebounded to 18%. Of the last 50 faculty hires made in Science prior to my departure, 25 were women -- exactly 50%. It will still take many years before Science has proper female representation in the professoriate, but Margaret-Ann turned things around for us.

In my academic career, I have interacted with many amazing people around the world. Some are notable for their brilliance. Others earn respect for their wisdom. Many are appreciated for their kindness. Margaret-Ann is in a class by herself -- she stands out and is outstanding for the positive energy she exuded every day towards her goal of making this a better place for everyone.

Margaret-Ann Armour quietly passed away at the age of 79 this past weekend. I have lost a valued colleague, the Faculty of Science has lost a tireless champion, the University of Alberta has lost a treasured ambassador -- and the world has lost an amazing role model.