How did you decide on pursuing your degree(s)? Did you know about geology before you entered university?
I’ve always been interested in processes that shape the Earth – volcanoes, earthquakes, formation and erosion of landscapes. As a kid I was fascinated by crystals and loved going to the Natural History Museum in London to look at their Earth Galleries and seemingly endless mineral collection. In high school, I liked physical geography and was keen on science, I just couldn’t decide which one. It was actually my high school biology teacher, who happened to also be a geologist and part time lecturer at one of the local universities, who suggested I might like geology and invited me to attend one of their intro courses. It seemed like a good fit – drawing from different sciences, learning about the Earth, the promise of field work, and not too much math. I did my undergrad in the UK, where you apply directly to the program you want to major in, so got right into Geology courses in my first year. I actually started in Environmental Geoscience but found I was more interested in more “traditional” courses like petrology, structural geology, mapping, and then after my first Ore Deposits class, which involved integrating different datasets in a targeting exercise, I was hooked.
Describe your career progression since finishing undergrad.
During my undergrad I spent a year on exchange at UBC, which gave me my first direct exposure to the mineral exploration industry. I stuck around that summer and got my first job as a field assistant with a junior copper explorer in southern BC. After finishing my undergrad degree in the UK, I returned to Canada and completed an MSc at the MDRU at UBC, focusing on Carlin-type gold systems in Nevada. My project was sponsored by companies with active mines in Nevada, and I spent time core logging and sampling at open pit and underground mines there while also collecting samples for my MSc research. Since graduating, I’ve worked in BC, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Mexico on a range of projects, from government-funded mapping projects to soil sampling campaigns on early stage exploration programs to running multi-rig drill programs on active mine sites. Each brings its own challenges (carrying enormous geochronology and cosmochronology(?!) samples, fending off bears, getting a pad built, hole drilled, and rig safely off within a few days before a shovel takes out the bench you were just on) and opportunities to problem solve and make lasting connections with people (you can’t do any of those things well alone). After doing that for about 6 years, field work and working rotations were losing their appeal, so I followed my interest in data systems and shifted focus to data management. After working as a database admin for a major, I joined the company I’m currently at as their data manager. The role, and the team, has grown since and I now oversee our data management and GIS team, responsible for making sure the huge amounts of data we collect are available and accessible for a whole range of end users and applications. I love that I am still involved in exploration and project development and get to keep evaluating new tools and processes that we can use to do our jobs as geoscientists and explorers better.
If you could go back to your first year in undergrad, would you pick the same degree and career trajectory? Why/why not?
I do wonder sometimes where I’d be if I’d studied something else – I considered architecture or modern languages and linguistics for a while. Or even if I’d stuck with Environmental Geoscience. Probably a lot closer to home, so my parents would be a lot happier! Maybe I’d have gone further away for undergrad rather than staying in my hometown? Really, I don’t think I’d do it differently though. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the adventures and experiences I’ve had and without getting to know all the people I have along the way.
What are the three best things about your job/career? What are three things you would change?
The three best things about my career:
Less frequent these days, but the travel. I love getting to go to new places, whether they are an easy drive or flight or a multi-day adventure just to get there.
The long-lasting friendships I’ve built. Nothing brings people together like adversity, and you get to know people very well very quickly when you’re living in tents (or trailers or motels or crew houses) in the middle of nowhere and have dug more soil sample pits, got more bug bites, or logged more drill core that month than you care to remember.
The variety of problems you get to solve. Especially working in a relatively small company, I’ve loved getting exposure to such a huge range of projects and challenges, whether that’s on-site and you’re learning basic plumbing on the fly or you’re discussing mine scheduling or project development strategy. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but when there’s time to step back and think about, it’s extremely rewarding.
Three things I would change:
The travel. The other side of the adventure and getting to visit beautiful or remote places is that you spend so much time away from friends and family. The novelty of a new place can wear off pretty quickly, and being away can put a strain on relationships. I regret missing some big events over the years because I’ve had to choose between things to fit into a work schedule.
This leads into general better work-life balance. There are times I wish I’d set firmer boundaries. Especially working contract work or during slower periods when there is more uncertainty, or field seasons are limited and deadlines tight, it can be hard not to get caught up in a culture of busyness.
Worry less between contracts in the early years. I wasted a lot of time doubting myself and worrying about how long it would be before securing the next contract. On the plus side, I time to develop other skills, like technical editing and data visualization, that have complemented my industry career and provided alternative employment in the short term. I probably could have gone on more vacations though.
Bigger picture, I’d like to see a more diverse industry that has greater gender and minority representation in leadership roles. And more resources for elementary and high school geoscience education to help improve the perceptions around the mining industry, as well as better convey the range of careers in geoscience.
Why is gender balance in mineral exploration/mining/geoscience important to you?
Despite a lot of progress, we still need to improve gender balance to make the industry feel safer and more inclusive to everyone. And we especially need more diverse representation in senior leadership roles.
Why should it be important for everyone?
We are facing increasingly complex challenges as geoscientists, and we need more diverse perspectives to help solve those. Improving gender balance in all roles and levels of seniority makes geoscience, including research, mine sites, field camps, corporate offices more accessible and inclusive to everyone.
What advice would you give to young women starting a career in mineral exploration/mining/geoscience?
Ask questions. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers. You never will. And no one expects you to, especially when you’re starting out.
Volunteer. Get involved where you can, whether it’s giving a talk on mineral exploration at a school, or at outreach events. You never know who you’ll meet and what opportunities come up in a less formal setting.
If you see a job you’re interested in and you don’t think you meet all the criteria, apply. Other will see one thing they can do on that list and convince a potential employer they are the perfect person for that role. You can too.
What motivates you and keeps you busy outside of mineral exploration/mining/geoscience?
Family, friends, travel. I don’t get much of field time these days so I get out hiking and camping as much as I can.
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