Indira Samarasekera
A trailblazing engineer and university president who championed innovation in energy and materials while shattering glass ceilings in academic leadership.
Born 1952 (age 74)·Sri Lankan engineer·Birthday: April 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Indira Samarasekera pursued a path in metallurgical engineering, a field where women were a rarity. She earned her doctorate in the UK and built a formidable academic career in Canada, becoming a leading expert on the processing of advanced materials, particularly steel. Her research had direct, practical impact on the energy and resource industries. In 2005, she was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, one of Canada's largest research institutions. There, she was a dynamic and sometimes controversial force, pushing for greater research commercialization and global partnerships. Her leadership style was bold and strategic, focused on elevating the university's international profile. Beyond campus, she has served on corporate boards and government advisory panels, including one for Canadian Senate appointments, consistently advocating for science, education, and diverse representation at the highest levels of public and private life.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Indira was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Indira Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Indira's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 12th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta from 2005 to 2015.
- Recognized as a leading international researcher in process metallurgy, especially steel production.
- Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to higher education and engineering.
- Served on the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments in Canada, helping select senators.
Did You Know?
She was the first woman to be appointed president of the University of Alberta.
She has served on the board of directors for major corporations like Magna International and Scotiabank.
She was born in Sri Lanka and is of Sinhalese descent.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a top academic honor.
“Steel is not just a material; it is the backbone of modern civilization.”
