Mining a new generation of economic geologists

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By Paul Mayne
Thursday, June 5, 2008
With a worldwide shortage of economic geologists and growing demand for natural resources, the Earth Sciences department is embarking on a multi-million dollar initiative to become the premier national institution for graduating entrepreneurial geologist-explorers.
 
 
Photo courtesy of Earth Sciences - A $41.7-million initiative would remake the Earth Sciences department as the go-to institution in Canada for the next generation of economic geologists. Part of the plan calls for expanding field school opportunities, illustrated here. captiontexthere
 
 
The ambitious $41.7-million initiative, to which the university has committed $23.1 million, will create a demand for new academic and research positions, new laboratory space and further building upgrades, and drive new courses and field school expansions over the next six years.
 
The remaining $18.6 million will be raised through donations from industry and partners.
 
Dean of Science David Wardlaw says he is thrilled to be part of the largest fundraising endeavour and departmental transformation in his academic career.
 
“The goal is to enhance significantly economic geology education and research at Western, and to graduate a new generation of economic geologists,” he says.
 
“Western should become the destination of choice in Canada for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies in this area, for those seeking academic and research appointments in economic geology, and for industry in terms of recruitment of new employees, collaborative research, for consultations on mineral deposit geology and petroleum geology, and for analytical services.”
 
Given the department’s existing strengths, priorities include ensuring it has the people, space, courses, and partnerships with industry, other institutions and government to graduate a new generation of economic geologists.
 
Phase one of the initiative to enhance mineral deposit studies and professional development will include the appointment of an Industrial Visiting Professor in Economic Geology/Mineral Deposit Geology this fall and a Chair in Economic Geology by July 2009. Professor Emeritus Bob Hodder will manage the project.
 
“Faculty, funding, and facilities are now aligned in a plan and a will for Western’s Department of Earth Sciences to school future generations of geoscientists in qualitative and quantitative knowledge of the Earth, how to research, learn and solve problems that bridge science, the economy, and indeed the sustainability of our species,” says Hodder. “How could I not be enthusiastic and want to be involved?”
 
Hodder adds the department wants to welcome new students, provide four years on a steep personalized learning curve of basic knowledge and skill development - complete with internship and summer employment possibilities - and see them on to full-time employment as interested alumni with whom we keep in touch.
 
“It does not hurt that there is a great shortage of geoscientists now and in the foreseeable future, and that profitable employment awaits the graduate,” he says.
 
“The word is out, and needs to be continually repeated, that ‘we are there for you’. This is what makes Western a ‘go-to’ for undergraduates in Earth Sciences.”
 
While other universities have somewhat similar projects in mind, Hodder adds there is an advantage in collaboration, here and abroad. Interlocking field workshops with other universities are currently underway.
 
“There is something for everyone in this, and there is no torch burning in isolation,” says Hodder. Most of the financial support will come from the university itself, with more than half the funds already accounted for. Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe calls it a wise investment.
 
“This initiative - when it reaches its full goal - will spark, dare I say, has already sparked, a renaissance in this area and other areas of resource geology that will make Western a national leader,” says Longstaffe.
 
The university has committed to renovations of the Biology & Geology building - which are currently ongoing - to provide space. 
 
“The opportunities that will be created for our students are simply phenomenal. Through the initiative we will be able to add the additional people needed to provide an exceptional command of all aspects of mineral deposits education – with students and their classroom, field-based and professional education top-of-mind and as a principal focus,” adds Longstaffe.
 
A number of pieces are needed to complete the makeover, but a partnership with industry is a key to the program’s success.
 
“The support of industry is crucial and is where we are concentrating our initial efforts in promotion of, and fundraising for, the initiative,” says Wardlaw.
 
As the initiative develops over the next few years, he anticipates being in a position to form shared ventures – such as field schools, selected grad courses, and a research network – with other universities and having programs in economic geology in Ontario and possibly in other provinces.
 
“Industry is highly motivated because it is facing an imminent workforce crisis as an aging workforce retires and the recent and current number of geology grads in Canada is far from sufficient to provide needed replacements,” adds Wardlaw.
 
“What positions Western so well in all of this is a large cohort of highly motivated and committed economic geology grads who have been very successful in industry and see the roots of their success in the student experience and education in economic geology at Western.”
 
One such graduate is Keith Barron, who regards his time spent at Western to be his “geological finishing school.” Barron got the ball rolling on this initiative with a $1.2-million contribution.
 
He believes the university is on the cusp of an Earth Sciences resurgence in educating, fostering and mentoring the next generation of explorationists and developers.
 
“We are attempting to rescue a long tradition of economic geology at Western that extends back to the foundation of the university,” says Barron.
 
“I am hoping that Western can rebuild itself to be the go-to place for economic geology, as it was in the 80s. It was a great incubator and a great life experience for which I am thankful,” says Barron.
 
The dynamics and creativity of the 80s and 90s were the key in launching careers of many Western alumni now working in the hot mining and exploration industry. Success, however, will require full support of the faculty and university administration, he says.
 
Only when industry sees a critical mass of support behind this initiative can Western go out and secure the funding and make the contacts, he says.
 
“I would like to see many close partnerships with industry,” Barron says. “I myself have a number of projects in different companies with which I am involved which could potentially be undergraduate or graduate thesis projects.”
 
Longstaffe is pleased with the encouragement of Barron and his colleagues in industry for the initiative.
 
“It is really exciting to see highly successful and creative alumni offering such an opportunity to the Department of Earth Sciences and its students, staff and faculty,” says Longstaffe. “The department has a long and proud tradition in the area of mineral deposits geology.”     

What’s being planned

Staffing 

Chair in Economic Geology: Appointed by July 1, 2009, this leadership position will be designed to attract an established researcher and educator from academia, industry, or government.
        
Industrial Visiting Professor in Economic Geology/Mineral Deposit Geology: Appointed by Sept. 1, 2008, incumbents to this position will teach special topics essential to new graduates, such as recent development in metallogeny, exploration geophysics and the demands of exploration management and politically sensitive issues.

NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Petroleum Geology: It is hoped industrial sponsors will help establish this chair.
        
Joint Faculty Appointment Earth Sciences and Surface Science Western: A joint faculty appointment will be established for the 2008-09 academic year to foster ties with industry partners.
        
Postdoctoral Fellow: The department will establish an open-competition postdoctoral fellow position in economic geology.
        
Adjunct Research Scientist: The department will forge closer ties with adjunct research scientist Dr. Allan Pratt of CANMET and NRC.
        
Research Associate: The department will hire a research associate to manage the microprobe facility, instruct students and provide research support.
        
Technical Staff Position: This full-time position will support operations in the thin section lab and perform curatorial duties for the substantial departmental collections.
        
Student Recruitment and Development Position: This part-time position will assist with internship placements, post-graduation employment, propel fundraising activities and engage alumni in support of the Initiative.
 
University commitment - $700,000
Fundraising goal - $5,650,000
Total - $6,350,000
 

New spaces, facilities, industry partnerships

Continued growth of the Faculty of Science demonstrates the commitment to providing state-of-the-art environments to support the best and brightest faculty and students. The following facilities will support a new generation of students
        
U-Pb Age Determination Laboratory: This facility will be used to conduct U-Pb age determinations based on SEM-microtextural analyses of zircons and accessory mineral phases and will be the only facility in Canada focused on precise age determinations for ore mineral assemblages.
        
Laboratory Upgrades in the Renovated Biology-Geology Building: New space in the Biology and Geology Building will house revitalized analytical facilities for the microprobe and SEM as well as an expanded thin section lab.
        
GIS Laboratory and Petrology Laboratory: A new GIS lab will provide practical training in data management for exploration programs in ArcInfo, MapInfo and GemCom. The existing ore petrology laboratory will be refurbished with new optical microscopes.
        
Rock and Mineral Repository & Outreach Museum: This space will house the Suffel and Dana collections, faculty research materials, and the Western meteorite collection. University commitment - $22,172,000
Fundraising goal - $9,790,000
Total - $31,962,000  

Expanded courses, professional registration

With industry champions, the department is pursuing the right priorities to develop an integrated undergraduate and graduate program that will rebrand Western as the place to go for Mineral Deposit Studies.
        
Four-Year Professional Degree Program: The department continues to develop a new four-year professional degree program to fulfill educational requirements for professional registration as a geoscientist, geologist or geophysicist in Ontario.
        
Field-Based, Industry Relevant Education: Students will have access to new field-based, practical and industry-relevant opportunities in geology, geochemistry, geophysics, environmental geoscience and mineral economics.
        
Expansion of Field Schools: Field schools will be expanded in 2008, including a new six-week Graduate Field Course focused on GIS mapping in mining centres such as Sudbury, Timmins and abroad.
        
New Course Offerings: New courses in the use of GIS in exploration geology, geochemistry and geophysics will be offered.
        
Applied Courses: Students will have access to a rotation of applied courses on relevant special topics by the Industrial Visiting Professor Chair.
        
Accelerated Master’s Program: The department is developing an accelerated, course-based master’s program in geophysics, which will culminate with an industrially relevant research project.
       
International Students: Tuition scholarships will be offered by Western and the department to attract international students to the undergraduate programs in geology or geophysics.  University commitment - $220,000
Fundraising goal -  $3,125,000
Total - $3,345,000  
 

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