Dr. Steve Westcott (BSc ’87) and PhD (’92) in Chemistry began his career at Mount Allison University in 1995 where he developed a robust research program in boron chemistry. He became a world-renowned expert in the field and held a Canada Research Chair in Boron Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Tier 2 from 2001-2011; Tier 1 from 2011 – 2026) until his untimely death in 2022.
He published over 150 research papers and mentored over 160 undergraduate students in his labs, many of which have gone on to pursue graduate work in chemistry and biochemistry. Steve taught and mentored thousands of students during the span of his career. He was a recipient of the Paul Paré Medal and multiple Excellence Awards. 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.
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 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.