The Spirit of Dr. Armour Award
Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour dedicated her life and career to diversity and the advancement of women in the sciences. But more fundamentally, she dedicated her spirit and her passion to people. Over the years, she became a recognized leader in raising national awareness among school-aged girls, educators, parents, and employers of the importance of encouraging women to take up careers in science and engineering. Simultaneously, she became a beloved member of numerous groups and networks through her genuine enthusiasm for individuals and sincere belief in the power of community. She loved people and people loved her back. In her own words "Learning what different groups do, think, and believe, can lead to empowerment."
Margaret-Ann is deeply missed by countless people whose lives were touched by her tireless determination to make an impact and bring change to the world. She leaves us all with a call to action - "I give you my greatest wish - to go meet your dreams." It is in this vein that WISEST is pleased to announce the “Spirit of Dr. Armour Award," a new award dedicated in her memory and in her honour, to individuals whose spirit and enthusiasm for diversity in STEM is genuine, infectious, and intentional. Recipients are chosen by consensus of the members of the WISEST staff team according to the following criteria:
SRP Student Award
This award is presented to a grade 11 student, who, through their participation in the Summer Research Program has shown:
- a genuine interest and passion in pursuing a STEM education
- leadership and engaged participation in all the SRP program offers
- collaborative interactions with other SRP participants, PIs, graduate students, WISEST staff, and lab staff
- an innovative and creative problem-solving approach
- demonstrated resilience in overcoming barriers and obstacles
Advocate Award
This award is presented to a principal investigator or supervisor, who through their participation in the Summer Research Program has shown advocacy in creating a more diverse STEM community including:
- Enthusiastically mentoring SRP students
- Promoting the SRP & WISEST through social media channels
- Participation in the SRP program with high student satisfaction results
2023 Recipients
2023 Student: Ashlyn Joseph (Edmonton, AB)
2023 Advocate: Laura Enekegho (Biochemistry)
2022 Recipients
2022 Student: Connor Duffy (St. Albert, AB)
2022 Advocate: Dr. Erin Bayne (Biological Sciences)
2021 Recipients
2021 Student: Kyla Fald (Stony Plain, AB)
2021 Advocate: Stephanie Chute-Ibsen (Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science)
2020 Recipients
2020 student: Ehlam Iftikhar (St. Paul, AB)
2020 Advocate: Dr. Ahlam Adbulnabi (Civil & Environmental Engineering)
2019 Recipients
2019 Student: Yosamin Esanullah (Edmonton)
2019 Advocate: Dr. Kasja Duke (Mechanical Engineering)
