This brilliant student, inspired teacher, and pioneer in the field of genetics attained international recognition as a botanist and made an outstanding contribution to both academic and popular science. She was the first woman to attain the rank of professor at a Canadian university with her appointment to the Department of Botany at McGill in 1912. Her achievement came despite opposition from her colleagues, at a time when women were discouraged from pursuing scholarly careers. As a suffrage activist and a social reformer, Derick worked tirelessly to promote her far-reaching vision of political and educational equality for women. *Note: This designation has been identified for review. A review can be triggered for one of the following reasons - outdated language or terminology, absence of a significant layer of history, factual errors, controversial beliefs and behaviour, or significant new knowledge.