The Carleton University Geology Society (GeoSoc) in collaboration with the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) invites you to join the Geoscience Career Speaker Series: Forge your own path!
Featuring a wide range of geoscientists, this free weekly series will highlight diverse industry roles and some unique career paths. Each informal presentation will feature different speakers sharing their personal experiences and opinions about where geoscience can take you as you build your career.
Gain insight into the working world with discussion topics on a typical workday, job lifestyles, and the things they wished they knew at the start of their careers.
Audience questions are welcome and viewer participation is encouraged during the live Q+A period at the end of each session. All students, recent graduates, and early career geoscientists are welcome to join and learn more about the realities of the working world.
Talks will take place each Wednesday at 7:00 pm EST, February 9 to March 30, 2022. Registration is required.
All sessions are presented live and will not be recorded.
PAST EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Marc Gasparotto, Health, Safety, Environment & Communities (HSEC) Communications Analyst
Brent Rouble, Business Improvement & Innovation Lead
Marc is a geologist who has held exploration roles in the Yukon, Ontario, Western Australia, and Myanmar. Building on these experiences, Marc now specializes in communications with a focus on stakeholder relations, strategic planning, and content development in the Health & Safety department at Lundin Mining. A volunteer with several organizations, he currently holds the chair of Vice President at the Next Generation Explorers Award Association. The Next Generation Explorers Award (NGEA™) is an international competition with the aim of promoting geoscience innovation and helping students explore opportunities for career development.
Marc holds an Honours BSc. in Geology from Lakehead University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations from Humber College.
Brent is a geologist who is focused on developing a sustainable future through green technology and education. After many successful years of innovating, leading, and discovery in the mining and mineral industry as a Professional Geoscientist, he took the leap into the green tech industry and is now a lead at Heliene, a North American solar panel producer and solar innovator. In addition to being passionate about innovation, alternate education, and mentorship, Brent is also involved in local start-up scenes and supports environmentally friendly businesses.
Brent holds a BSc. in Environmental Earth Science and a Certificate of Applied Geography from Laurentian University.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Cassia Johnson (She/Her), P.Geo., BSc., MSc., PhD Candidate
Dr. Margaret (Meg) Stewart, Assistant Professor of Geology
A professional geologist, Cassia is currently pursuing an interdisciplinary PhD in Social Sciences and Engineering at the Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter, UK), focusing on the intersection of mining and society with research on the sustainable development of small-scale mining collectives in the global north and global south. Cassia has a diverse background that includes a wealth of experience in practiced exploration and quaternary geology, drift prospecting, drill program management, surficial mapping, as well as investor and community social relations.
Cassia holds a BSc. Geology (University of Saskatchewan) and a MSc. Earth & Environmental Sciences (University of Waterloo).
As an Assistant Professor of Geology at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Meg leads an array of courses including Structural Geology, Geological Field Methods, and Environmental Resource Management. Her research uses fieldwork, laboratory techniques, and remote sensing to study the relationship between plate tectonics, crustal-scale structures, and magmatic-hydrothermal mineralizing systems in modern and ancient arc-backarc settings. Her current research areas are the Lau Basin and Melanesian Archipelago of the SW Pacific Ocean and the Stikine Terrane of NW British Columbia.
Meg has a BSc. Honours in Earth Sciences with a minor in Mathematics from Carleton University, a PhD. in Mineral Deposits & Precambrian Geology from Laurentian University, and has completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Ottawa.
Cassia and Meg each participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2009 and 2011 respectively.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Laurent Janssen, Exploration Geologist (Consultant) and Avalanche Technician
With a long-time passion for mountain climbing, skiing, and the outdoors, Laurent has built a successful geoscience career high up in the mountains of British Columbia. Working hand-in-hand with the changing seasons, he divides his time between two distinct roles to create his own version of work/life balance.
In the summer, Laurent consults as an Exploration Geologist specializing in complex mountainous and glaciated terrains. With a professional mountain guide and rope access, he does exploratory mapping and sampling on the steep slopes of the Golden Triangle in NW British Columbia, home to some of the largest and richest mineral deposits in North America.
During the snowy winter months, Laurent keeps vital access roads and mineworkers safe by performing avalanche forecasting, control, and mountain safety as an Avalanche Technician for an underground high-grade gold mine.
Laurent holds a BSc. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), is a trained Avalanche Professional and member of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA). He also participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2012.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Hannah Cavallin, M.Sc., GIT, Project Geologist
Francis D. Hainstock, P.Geo, Contract Geologist
Much of Hannah’s over 15 years of experience in mining and exploration was acquired during her unconventional career path prior to pursuing post-secondary education. She has worked as a haul truck operator at an open pit mine in Northern BC, an executive assistant at a junior exploration company and a soil sampler and field assistant in the remote mountains of BC and the Yukon Territory. Internationally, Hannah’s been a geotech and field assistant in Australia, and a project manager at an underground gold mine in Zimbabwe. She is currently a Project Geologist with Yamana Gold, managing exploration projects in Canada, while also assessing new projects and identifying potential opportunities for the company's Generative Exploration team.
Hannah holds a BSc. Honours in Earth Science from the University of British Columbia, a MSc. in Geology from Western University, and participated in PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2016.
Since 2009, Francis has been a self-employed contract geologist, with experience in Canada and in the United States with a mining shaft exploration project, oil and gas ventures, and potash exploration. He has worked as a Research Associate in Physical Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan, in a geo-analytical laboratory for the Saskatchewan Research Council, and in diamond exploration at the Forte à la Corne kimberlite field. Recently, Francis was responsible for the geological inflow operations at a flooding potash mine, which included hydrogeology, geophysics, geochemistry, drilling, and grouting programs. He is currently involved in a well decommissioning completion program at a potash mine.
Francis has a BSc. Geology from the University of Saskatchewan, is a registered geoscientist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS), and participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2009.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Tara Bauer (She/Her), MSc., Environmental Scientist, Co-Founder & Director
Sarah Jackson-Brown, MSc., Project Coordinator
Tara is an Environmental Scientist with a specialization in hydrogeology. She has worked in hydrogeology research with the G360 Institute for Groundwater Research (now the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute), in source water protection at Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, and as a hydrogeology consultant at Cole Engineering. When the pandemic hit, Tara took the opportunity to do something different with her career. Her positive job experiences drove her to inspire others to reconnect with nature by starting her own environmental education organization, blue marble learning scene. With the flexibility of being her own boss, Tara holds the role of Director of Turtles Kingston, a grassroots conservation organization that aims to protect turtles within the Kingston, Ontario area.
Tara has a BSc. in Environmental Science and MSc. Hydrogeology from the University of Guelph. She participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2013.
While Sarah’s passion for the natural world led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences, it was her experiences during her Master’s that sparked her love of education. Sarah has explored many roles within both the mining and education sectors including junior exploration, mineral processing, 3D mine modelling, historical interpretation, and college lab instruction. In her role at MineralsEd, an educational non-profit organization that provides resources on mining and geoscience, Sarah helps Canadian teachers and students learn more about the natural world and how the mining industry works. In her off time, Sarah is a science communication advocate for Science Slam Canada, facilitating poetry slam-style events where participants are challenged to explain a scientific topic in the most creative way possible.
Sarah holds a BSc. in Earth Sciences from Laurentian University and a MSc. in Geology from the University of British Columbia. Sarah participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop in 2010.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Taylor Haid, M.Sc., Project Geologist
His passion for history and love of the natural world led Taylor straight to the doors of the geology department in the early years of his university career. The ability to combine his personal interests with a profession seemed like a dream come true.
Taylor was a NSERC CREATE M.Sc. Fellow for Technologies and Techniques for Earth and Space Exploration during his time at the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (now an Institute) at Western University. His specialization was the utilization of LiDAR for geological mapping of planetary surfaces. These experiences as a graduate student exposed Taylor to new technologies to find solutions for geological problems across multiple fields.
Currently a project geologist with Metallic Minerals, over the past decade Taylor has also held mineral exploration roles in the Yukon, Nunavut, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Labrador.
Taylor holds a B.Sc. Honours in Geology from the University of Regina and a M.Sc. in Geology (Planetary Science) from Western University. Taylor participated in the PDAC’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW) in 2013.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Jeff Killeen, Policy & Programs Director
Valerie Wilson, Technical Manager, Geology
For over seven years, Jeff worked in finance as a Director of Institutional Equity Research for CIBC World Markets, providing analysis and recommendations on mineral industry equities and precious metals to institutions and professional investors around the globe. He has conducted due diligence and assessment work on mineral exploration and mining assets on five continents, and has extensive experience working in exploration and mine geology in several major Canadian mining camps including the Sudbury basin and the Abitibi greenstone belt. Jeff is currently the Prospector & Developers Association of Canada’s Director of Policy & Programs.
Jeff holds a B.Sc. in Geology/Earth Science from Carleton University.
Valerie is a Managing Principal Geologist at SLR Consulting focused on team capacity building and project management, as well as the preparation and evaluation of geological and resource models for a diverse number of commodity and deposit types. She is an expert user of Leapfrog and an advanced user of Vulcan and Supervisor. Valerie provides technical assistance, composes documentation for public disclosure, and conducts due diligence reviews to support mergers and acquisitions. Previously, she has held the positions of Mine Geologist and Exploration Geologist in Canada and Scandinavia. Valerie has developed and delivered Mineral Resource estimation training to private and public audiences and has been a short course presenter on Mineral Resource estimation at the PDAC Convention and for the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (PGO). Amongst other accomplishments, she is also the chairperson of the Toronto Geological Discussion Group and a member of the Convention Planning committee for the PDAC.
Valerie earned her B.Sc. in Geology at the University of Victoria, and her M.Sc. in Mining Geology, with a specialization in geostatistics, at the Camborne School of Mines in England.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM MST | 4:00 PM PST)
Dr. Mareike Adams, Seismic Analyst
Bronwyn Azar, Precambrian Geoscientist
With a life-long passion for solving puzzles, Mareike has built a career applying mathematical principles to try to answer questions we have about earthquakes and the deep earth. Her love of problem solving was applied during her PhD in developing novel numerical techniques to model the rupture process and source physics of large earthquakes, with applications to seismic hazards. Following this, Mareike was the Geophysics Instructor at Carleton University for three years before transitioning to her current role as a Seismic Analyst with the Canadian Hazards Information Service (CHIS). In this role, she conducts earthquake-related analysis including precise earthquake locations and magnitude estimation, focal mechanisms, analyses of earthquake source, propagation and site effects to maintain our National Earthquake Database that is used in the development of the National Building Code of Canada.
Mareike holds an Honours BSc. in Mathematics from McGill University and a PhD. in Geophysics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
A professional geologist for over 13 years, Bronwyn has experience in government research and mineral exploration in Ontario, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. As an exploration geologist, she has worked on projects ranging from grassroots exploration to the feasibility stage of exploration. Bronwyn currently works for the Ontario Geological Survey as a Precambrian Geoscientist and focuses on mapping the Fort Hope-Miminiska greenstone belt in northern Ontario as part of a multi-year project. Her master’s thesis investigated the genesis of the Blackbird Chromium Deposit in the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario while employed with Noront Resources. Among other commitments, Brownyn is also a Director of the Canadian Geological Foundation. She is currently on parental leave with her daughter, Sage.
Bronwyn completed her BSc. and MSc. degrees in Geology at the University of Toronto.