Margaret Ann Chapman (14 January 1937 – 23 May 2009) was a

limnologist Limnology ( ; from Greek λίμνη, ''limne'', "lake" and λόγος, ''logos'', "knowledge") is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. The study of limnology includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characterist ...

, one of the first New Zealand women scientists to visit Antarctica, and the first woman to lead a scientific expedition to Antarctica. Lake Chapman, in Antarctica's

Ross Dependency The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a circular sector, sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160th meridian east, 160° east to 150th meridian west, 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60th para ...

, was named for Chapman. Chapman spent most of her teaching career at the

University of Waikato , mottoeng = For The People , established = 1964; years ago , endowment = (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $263.6 million (31 December 2020) , chancellor = Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ , vice_chancellor = Neil Quigley , cit ...

Early life and education

Chapman was born in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

on 14 January 1937 and studied at Southland Girls' High School and

Otago Girls' High School , motto_translation = The Right Education Makes The Heart As Strong As Oak , type = State , grades = 9 - 13 , grades_label = Years , gender = Girls-only , established = ; years ago , address = 41 Tennyson Street ...

. She graduated with a Masters of Science at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

in 1960; her thesis was on the taxonomy and ecology of New Zealand freshwater

ostracods Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a class of the Crustacea (class Ostracoda), sometimes known as seed shrimp. Some 70,000 species (only 13,000 of which are extant) have been identified, grouped into several orders. They are small crustaceans, typical ...

. She worked at the Sydney Water Board in Australia before moving to Scotland to study toward a PhD at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, which she completed in 1965. Her doctoral thesis was entitled ''Ecological studies on the zooplankton of Loch Lomond''.

Career

She worked at the University of Glasgow and the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

before being appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato in 1970 and promoted to Reader in 1975. She remained at the University of Waikato until her retirement in 1996. In 1971, Chapman led a three-week scientific expedition to Antarctica, which made her one of the first women on the continent and the first woman to lead an Antarctic expedition. Lake Chapman, near Granite Harbour in Antarctica's Ross Sea Dependency, is named after Chapman. Chapman and Vida Stout founded the New Zealand Limnological Society in 1967 (now the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society). She co-authored the ''Guide to the freshwater Crustacea of New Zealand'', published in 1976, with Maureen Lewis. An updated version was published in 2011, which Chapman had been working on prior to her death.

Retirement

Following her 1996 retirement, a special conference session was held in her honour, which resulted in a special section in the ''New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research'' published in 1999. In the foreword to the special issue, Chapman was recalled as being "very relaxed" with a "healthy disrespect for minor rules and regulations that bedevil large institutions, and willing to turn a blind eye to student pranks". Chapman's final years were plagued with ill health, but she converted her nursing home room into an office and continued to write, including working on a draft of an updated version of the freshwater Crustacea guide. She died in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

on 23 May 2009. In 2017, Chapman was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "

150 women in 150 words Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

", celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Ann 1937 births 2009 deaths 20th-century New Zealand zoologists 20th-century New Zealand women scientists Alumni of the University of Glasgow New Zealand limnologists People educated at Otago Girls' High School People educated at Southland Girls' High School Scientists from Dunedin University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Waikato Women Antarctic scientists