About Us

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: