Faculty of Science
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | CANADA B3H 4R2 | +1 (902) 494-3540

Mary Anne White

University Research Professor of Chemistry and Physics

Education
1975, BSc, Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London
1979, PhD, Physical Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton

Selected awards and honours

  • 2005, University Research Professorship
  • 2004, Atlantic Provinces Council on Sciences / Canpolar Science Communication Award
  • 2003, Inducted in Discovery Centre Hall of Fame, Halifax, Canada
  • 2002, The Union Carbide Chemical Education Award of the Chemical Institute of Canada
  • 2002, Elected Fellow of IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)
  • 1996-2004, Killam Research Professor in Materials Science
  • 1996, Noranda Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry
  • 1995, Elected Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada
  • 1994, Chosen by The Coast as "one of the 94 people who make Halifax happen"
  • 1993, Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence (Dalhousie University)
  • 1993, Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Teaching (Dalhousie University)

Contributions

  • 2005-, Member of Council, NSERC
  • 2004-06, Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Canadian Light Source
  • 2003-, Member, Premier’s Council on Innovation
  • 2003-2005, Member, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Peer Review College, UK
  • 2003, Member, Gerhard Herzberg Prize Committee, NSERC
  • 2002-, Director, Institute for Research in Materials, Dalhousie University
  • 2002-, Consulting Editor, McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology
  • 2002, Member, NSERC/NRCan Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Grant Selection Committee
  • 2000-02, Member, NSERC Chemistry Strategic Reallocations Committee
  • 2001-, Member, International Council on Materials Education
  • 2001-, Regular guest on Maritime Noon, CBC Radio 
  • 2000-01, Chair, Calorimetry Conference
  • 2000, Chair, IUPAC Conference on Chemical Thermodynamics

Professional associations

  • The American Physical Society, Member
  • The American Chemical Society, Physical Chemistry Division, Affiliate Member and Chemical Education Division, Affiliate Member
  • The Canadian Association of Physicists, Member
  • The Chemical Institute of Canada/Canadian Society for Chemistry, Member and Fellow
  • International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Fellow
  • Japanese Society for Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis, Member 
  • The Materials Research Society, Member
  • The Nova Scotian Institute of Science, Member

Publications
More than 100 refereed research journal articles, 62 educational publications, 3 book chapters, and 4 book.

Research presentations

  • 41 invited conference presentations
  • 52 contributed conference presentations
  • 81 invited research seminars

Websites

E-mail: Dr. Mary Anne White

The science of stuff

Dr. White's research activities involve experimental investigations of physical and chemical properties of materials.

In general, her interests are in solids with weak orientational forces, where disorder is possible.  Interests include heat conduction, thermal expansion, phase transitions, thermal stability and phase stability. Materials of interest include simple inorganic solids, organic molecular solids, zeolites and other inclusion compounds, and nanoscale composites. She seeks to understand the relationship between structure and properties, in order to be able to tailor chemical and physical properties. Applications range from thermoelectric materials for solid-state cooling devices, to heat-storage materials and thermochromic materials.     

As a teacher, Dr. White encourages her students to take their capacity for logical reasoning "outside the classroom" and into "real life." 

"I also aim to encourage the clear expression of reasoned thoughts," she says.

Because science and scientists could be better understood in the broader community, Dr. White also works hard to clarify aspects of science for this wider audience. This has included involvement with establishment of a public science centre, lecturing to the general public, contributions on radio and television to discuss science and life as a scientist, and writing articles aimed for this most general audience. 

"I see two aspects of my role here:  to make the ins-and-outs of a scientific career more widely known, and to educate the general audience towards scientific literacy. It also educates me!"