“I visited a few classrooms and judged a few science fairs, which I absolutely loved,” Annan recalls of his Let’s Talk Science volunteer days. “It was such a nice chance to get outside the lab.” It can be easy for students to get lost and bogged down by the rigour of PhD programs, which made Annan feel like volunteering for Let’s Talk Science offered him just the change of pace he needed to keep him sane and motivated during his time at McGill. “The day-to-day work of science can be challenging, frustrating, and really tedious,” he says. “Taking a break sometimes to go out and talk to kids who are often blown away by the basics of science helps to re-instill a sense of wonder.”
After finishing his PhD, Annan moved into the science-policy space, working at Mitacs Inc. for five years before moving to Genome Canada, where he has been for the past six years—the past four and a half as CEO and President. “I spent a bit of time in research but eventually transitioned into more of the science-policy space,” says Annan. “I’m working at the interface of research, government, public, industry, and training. How do all these pieces fit together to help us achieve public good—whether through economic growth, social benefit, public health or so on.”
In a full circle moment, Annan rejoined Let’s Talk Science in 2016 as a member of the Board of Directors, on which he served for two years. Sitting on the Board of Directors was a powerful experience for Annan as it allowed him to reconnect with the organization and helped him think about topics in new ways. “I found that it was just a really nice change of perspective to be able to think about issues at Let’s Talk Science in ways that weren’t necessarily part of my day-to-day thinking at Genome Canada,” Annan says. “Thinking through what we need to be doing to make sure that we’re planting the seeds for those who will come later, not just who will be the scientists and engineers, but also those who will be using the technologies and be part of this future society. How do we ensure they have the tools to succeed and thrive?”
Looking forward, Annan encourages others to stay engaged and curious, no matter how grim the world around them may appear. “I worry that right now, for all sorts of reasons, justifiable reasons, things are feeling a little dark and a little challenging,” Annan admits. “Younger generations may be feeling a little overwhelmed and perhaps a little bitter and angry about the state of the world when it comes to climate change; when it comes to political discord; when it comes to global pandemics; when it comes to so many of the challenges that we face.”
But even in the face of such overwhelming problems, Annan stays positive. “Despite everything, I’m an optimist, and I believe that science and technology have shown us a better way,” says Annan. “The idea of rational inquiry has led us out of some very dark periods in the past. Into an area where we believed that we could understand the world and figure out solutions to some of our biggest challenges.” Annan believes the key to moving forward is engaging young people and equipping them with the tools they need to tackle whatever lies ahead. “We have within us the capacity to do great things,” he says. “I think that science and the tools that come with it are the only way we’re going to learn how to solve the climate crisis and live together productively.” Annan hopes that if we can give young people the resources they need to succeed, they will positively impact the world and bring solutions to the slew of problems we are facing: “For me, what I see for the future is one that is full of hope and commitment to giving young people the tools that they will need to solve these big challenges. That’s how we’ll see positive change.”