Mary Anne White

Mary Anne White is Harry Shirreff Professor of Chemical Research (Emerita) at Dalhousie University, Halifax. She is a specialist in the research area of energetics and thermal properties of materials. Mary Anne is an author of more than 180 research papers and also a textbook, “Physical Properties of Materials,” now in its second edition. She also is Editor for Materials Science for the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Mary Anne has been active throughout her career in bringing science to the general public: helping establish the hands-on Discovery Centre in Halifax; many presentations for schools, the general public and others (including a lecture for Members of Canada’s Parliament and Senate in the Bacon & Egghead series); booklets on science activities for children; more than 150 articles for educators or the general public; appearances on television; 14 years as a regular contributor on CBC Radio’s “Maritime Noon” fielding listeners’ science questions live on air. Mary Anne was awarded the 2007 McNeil Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Doctor of Science (honoris causa) from both McMaster University and from UWO. She is also the recipient of the Noranda Award for contributions to physical chemistry and the Union Carbide Award for Chemical Education. In 2012, she received an American Chemical Society Award for Incorporation of Sustainability into Chemical Education. In 2013, she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2016 she was installed as an Officer of the Order of Canada.