Mary Anne White is a scientist, science promoter and writer who has enjoyed a 30-year career as a professor of chemistry and physics. She is currently the Harry Shirreff Professor of Chemical Research (Emerita) at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Her area of research is energetics and the thermal properties of materials, and applications of her research have led to new developments in energy scavenging and storage, along with materials that change colour with temperature for erasable printing. She has authored over 190 research papers and has trained over 120 undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in her laboratory.
Throughout her career, Mary Anne White has actively sought to engage the general public in scientific discovery. In addition to authoring a popular textbook, Physical Properties of Materials, which is now in its second edition, she helped establish the hands-on Discovery Centre in Halifax and has presented down-to-earth science lectures in schools, to the general public and even in Parliament, including a lecture for MPs and senators as part of the Bacon & Egghead series. She has written booklets on science activities for children and over 70 articles for educators or the general public, and has appeared on television and radio, all in the cause of fostering curiosity and interest in science.
In recognition of her efforts, Mary Anne White was awarded the 2007 McNeil Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, and honorary doctorates from McMaster University and the University of Western Ontario. 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 a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2016 she was installed as an Officer of the Order of Canada.