The following message was sent to the Mount Allison University community on April 13, 2022
 
It is with great sadness that I share the news that beloved chemistry professor Dr. Stephen (Steve) Westcott has passed away.
 
Steve was an integral part of the Mount Allison community for many years, teaching and mentoring thousands of students during his career. He taught at Mount Allison since 1995 and was a recipient of the Paul Paré Medal and multiple Excellence Awards. A long-time Canada Research Chair holder (more than 20 years), he was a leader in his field and inspired many Mount Allison chemistry students to pursue careers in research. His research group, the Wild Toads, was one of the largest on campus, even welcoming high school students and community members to learn more about the world of chemistry. He was known to many as an amazing teacher, brilliant researcher, and a kind colleague and friend.
 
In 2020, he shifted his research focus to COVID-19 treatment and recovery with the project, The fifth element: Battle COVID-19. Under his leadership, the Westcott research team, including many Mount Allison students and international collaborators contributed significantly to the field of chemistry, studying the health effects of new compounds based on natural products such as capsaicin (the chemical that makes hot peppers hot), eugenol, and Boron.
 
I enjoyed visiting the Wild Toads lab in Barclay where visitors were always welcomed and always walked away having learnt something new.
 
Community members can reach out to Multi-Faith Chaplain and Spiritual Care Co-ordinator Rev. Ellie Hummel for support at this difficult time at ehummel@mta.ca /364-9239. She will be in the Chapel, which is open as a place to gather, share stories, and reflect.
 
Counsellors are available to students by e-mailing wellness@mta.ca or visiting https://oab.owlpractice.ca/mtacounselling to book an appointment.
 
Staff can access free counselling services through the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which can be accessed through Gateway. There will also be an EFAP-affiliated counsellor, Armand Savoie, on campus today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for drop-in support. Armand will be located in McCain 124 and employees can come individually or in groups if they would like to meet with Armand.
 
For employees who would prefer to connect with EFAP resources virtually, they can contact the EFAP 24/7 via the portal: https://www.workhealthlife.com/ or by calling 1-844-880-9142.
The University flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Sincerely,
 
Jean-Paul Boudreau
President and Vice-Chancellor