Marianne Armstrong is on assignment as acting Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Management at the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Construction Research Centre. Her 23-year career began with the NRC in 1997, when Marianne worked for the Aerospace Research Centre as a summer student. After graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Queens University, she earned her Master's of Science degree in Industrial Design from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
Her path brought her back to the NRC, where she held positions as a technical officer, research council officer, and as manager of the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure Initiative. Over this time, she's worked on more than 60 technologies to improve energy efficiency and comfort in homes, led work to understand and address the effects of climate change on infrastructure, and is now looking at how science and research can continue to support the priorities of the National Model Codes, especially the National Building Code and National Energy Code for Buildings.
"One of the most rewarding parts about working at the NRC is exploring where there are challenges and applying science to solve them. Taking science from the lab to the real world, where it can really make a difference."
As a mom to two young children, Marianne knows how important it is for kids to see that women can do anything they choose; something that was instilled in her by her own family early on:
"I always felt like I could be anything I wanted to be. I'm passionate about my work in science, and I hope I can encourage young girls to realize that they too, can do anything they want in their careers."
Marianne is glad to see more and more women in STEM-related fields, and to work with talented colleagues who share in her passion for science.