Anson Mackay | |
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| Born | 1967 (age 57–58) |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh (BSc) University of Manchester (PhD) |
| Known for | Freshwater ecology |
| Spouse | David Adger |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University College London |
Anson W. Mackay is an emeritus Professor of Geography in the Environmental Change Research Centre atUniversity College London, having retired in April 2022 because of ill health.[1] They work on the impact of climate change onfreshwater ecosystems. Mackay was editor-in-chief of theRoyal Geographical Society journalGeo: Geography and Environment (2015–2020) and is on the board of theSouth African Geographical Journal.[2]
Mackay was born tocrofters in the village ofTongue on the north coast ofScotland.[3] They studiedBiological Science at theUniversity of Edinburgh and graduated in 1989. They moved toManchester for their doctorate, and earned a PhD inpalaeoecology in 1993. They were appointed aLeverhulme fellow atUniversity College London.[1]
While atEdinburgh, Mackay came out as gay and began a relationship withDavid Adger, who they are still with.[4] Since 2022 Mackay has identified asnon-binary. They are a keen and regular runner ofmarathons andultramarathons,[5] despite having stage-4HPV-related cancer.[6][7]
Mackay was appointed a lecturer atUniversity College London in 2000 and promoted to Professor in 2013. They have extensively investigated the impact of pollution onLake Baikal, as well as theAral Sea andOkavango Delta.[8]
They have reconstructed the climate history ofLake Baikal for the past 800,000 years.[9]Lake Baikal is the world's deepest and oldest lake, and is home to one fifth of the world's fresh water.[10] Over 75% of the species exist nowhere else in the world.[10] Mackay has studied the numbers of the microalgaediatoms inLake Baikal, and showed that they have declined as the lake gets warmer.[10][11] Somediatoms are more sensitive than others, which lets Mackay and colleagues look at the impact of pollution in the past.[12] They study the populations ofdiatoms by studying silicon isotopes, which form the base of thediatom food chain.[12] Mackay believes that the water quality has deteriorated due to inadequate sewage treatment.[10] Additionally, the nearby Baikal Paper and Pulp Mill generates sulphates, organic chlorine and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of bleached pulp, which make their way into the lake.[12][13] Mackay has shown that these changes have also impactedphytoplankton andzooplankton.
UCL Inclusion Awards: Sir Stephen Ward 'Inspiring Role Model' and EDI Team Award for 'Inspirational Engagement' (2022)[14]
Royal Geographical Society's Victoria Medal (2023) for 'their transformative impact on the discipline of geography'.[15]
Mackay was editor-in-chief of theRoyal Geographical Society journalGeo: Geography and Environment (2015-20) and sat on the board of Open Quaternary.[16] They have written forThe Conversation.[17] They have been nominated for Student Choice awards, including Inspiring Teaching, Equality & Diversity and Exceptional Feedback.[18][19] In 2017 Mackay established the LGBTQ+ networkOut Geography.[20][21] They are part of the network500 Queer Scientists, and has been part of a successful parliamentary inquiry into the impact of scientific funding on equality and diversity.[22][23]
Mackay, Anson (2014).Global Change in the Holocene. Routledge. pp. 2019–07–04.ISBN 978-0340812143.
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