This year, Matrix Solutions’ Margaret Allan, Principal and Practice Lead for Engineering, was recognized as a recipient of the Geoscientists Canada Fellowship. The Fellowship program honours individuals who have given noteworthy service in their careers to the geoscience profession. This includes service to Geoscientists Canada or one of their constituent associations.
“Geoscientists Canada works to ensure that Canada is served by a skilled, versatile, reputable and accountable geoscience profession,” Margaret said. “To be nationally recognized by them is such a high honour and increases my pride for what we accomplish in the area of environmental earth science.”
In Margaret’s case, many of her contributions have been as an active member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), including six years as a member of their Investigative Committee. She has also moderated APEGA’s ethics seminars in university classrooms for graduating students and was elected in 2020 to APEGA’s governing council for a three-year term.
“I am very much aware that I got to where I am only because others have guided, advised and encouraged me along the way,” Margaret said. “Volunteering with APEGA has not only allowed me to share my views and experiences, but also to learn from what others have shared with me. It is wonderful being able to pay the profession back through guiding and encouraging others through work and volunteer opportunities.”
At Matrix we know Margaret as an enthusiastic mentor and role model, who celebrates the contributions and achievements of team members; and someone who skillfully blends engineering and geoscience as a registered professional in both fields. She brings more than 30 years of experience to the projects she leads for our clients and joined Matrix in 1997 to lead the assessment, remediation, and decommissioning of a wide variety of contaminated sites. Margaret is an authority on risk assessment – developing practical, site‑specific remediation criteria that protects human health and the environment. In her role as Practice Lead, Engineering, she also focuses on driving technical quality, consistency and mentorship across Matrix’s engineering practice. Throughout her career, Margaret has contributed to many publications and presentations – sharing her expertise with the broader community.
“During a long-ago mentoring course, one of the participants observed that ‘the best mentor I ever had was someone who told me not what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear,’” said Margaret. “That was the moment I recognized that to truly help people grow and develop means being proactive about sharing insights.”
Congratulations on this recognition Margaret!
