Dr EM MERRIN MAY ARMSTRONG.

Dr Em Merrin May Armstrong is a plant-focused interdisciplinary researcher based at the University of Glasgow. Rooted in sustainability, abolition, and justice, their work explores the intersections of ecology, botany, queerness, disability, genetics, food sovereignty, and community. Through writing, performance, lectures, experimental sound work, and workshops, Em shares plant knowledge and queer ecological practice with audiences worldwide.

Em holds a PhD in plant genetics from the University of Glasgow and currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow, while maintaining a freelance career in parallel. Em sits on the Board of Directors for Deveron Projects, an arts organisation in rural Aberdeenshire.

Em works with justice-oriented, ecologically-focused, and educationally empowering organisations, with previous partners including: The Wildlife Trusts, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, The Wellcome Collection, The British Ecological Society, The Royal Society of Biology, TUO TUO Arts Finland, Glasgow Food Policy Partnership, Well Projects, Cambridge Botanic Gardens, Glasgow Seed Library, Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts, Forgan Arts Centre, Deveron Projects, and more.

Workshops, lectures, walks, performances available on a sliding-scale basis for different organisations

Contact: hi [@] emilymayarmstrong [.] com

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Fit the bill? Join these world-leading arts, science, education, and research organisations by working with Em for your project.

Previous Participant’s Comments:

  • “I knew hardly anything about queer ecology before this lecture and didnt feel out of my depth at all a fantasticly well presented workshop that thourghly engaged me. I usually fidget and get restless and zone out during zoom workshops and I didnt once have any of those feelings, my fidget toy remained firmly untouched I was that interested and engaged!”

    Queer Ecologies Workshop Participant, 202

  • “The Plant Thinking talk was really really great - everything was explained with super relatable analogies and language”

    Plant Thinking Participatory Workshop Attendee, 2022

  • “I like how Emily explains topics with confidence and ease, very enjoyable to listen to and learn from”

    How Plants Learn three-part lecture attendee - Glasgow Seed Library, 2022

  • “Emily's talk made me feel inspired, informed, entertained”

    How Plants Learn lecture series attendee, Glasgow Seed Library

  • “I really enjoyed Emily's presentation. Her style was very laid back but also enthusiastic and it was much more engaging than more traditional presentation styles.”

    Communicating Your Research - videography and science outreach workshop for Envision DTP, 2021

  • “The workshop was more fun than I imagined! It is great to see that you can communicate your science in a simple way without losing the importance of what you do.”

    Communicating Your Research - videography and science outreach workshop for Envision DTP, 2021

  • “Emily was extremely easy to work with – both fun and professional. Her creativity and ideas, as well as commitment to accurate representation and detail, brought a huge amount to this project and we are really happy with the result.”

    Dr Elizabeth Adams, Head of Researcher Development at the University of Glasgow

  • Emily’s work is inspiring, enlightening, empowering - I can’t wait to attend another event of their’s soon!

    Queer Ecologies Workshop Participant, 2023