Margaret Loutit

Margaret Wyn Loutit (née Jeffery; 5 September 1929 – 7 May 2020) was a New Zealand microbiologist. She was a full professor at the University of Otago from 1981, and was the inaugural director of the university's Research Office from 1988 to 1995

Early life and family Born in the rural South Australian town of Burra on 5 September 1929, Loutit was the daughter of Marjorie Oliver Jeffery (née River) and Roy Joseph Jeffery. She was educated at Burra High School and Methodist Ladies' College, Adelaide, and went on to study at the University of Adelaide, graduating BSc (Hons) in 1951 and MSc in 1954. After some years as a homemaker, Margaret Loutit became a part-time lecturer in microbiology at the University of Otago in 1959, and began doctoral studies in 1962. Her PhD thesis, completed in 1966, was titled The effect of microorganisms on the availability of trace elements to plants.

The following year, Loutit was appointed as a lecturer in microbiology at Otago, rising to become a full professor in 1981.

Later life and death Loutit was predeceased by her husband, John, in 2012.