A presentation on careers in geoscience! Nora Whelan, Sharon Blackmore, and Ray Craddock will present their experiences in different geoscience careers, including geohazards, geochemistry, and hydrogeology. We work for BGC Engineering Inc. (BGC), which is an applied earth science consulting company that applies technical geoscience and engineering expertise to pioneer responsible solutions to complex earth science challenges in a variety of sectors. Working at BGC has introduced us to many interesting projects with diverse geological settings across North America and beyond. We are excited for this opportunity to share our experiences, increase awareness of different geoscience career paths, and to discuss current career opportunities!

A little about the presenters:

Sharon Blackmore, Ph.D., P.Geo.

Sharon began her career as an exploration geologist, mainly working in the Canadian arctic region. She transitioned to the environmental consulting industry 17 years ago when her interest in how mining projects shape and influence the land outweighed the excitement of working on new discoveries. Sharon is a hydrogeochemist and has been with BGC for the past 10 years. She is the Geochemistry Team lead at BGC, working on geochemistry and water quality aspects of a wide range of projects types and project life (i.e., from early stages of project development, actively operating mines, sites in closure and reclamation). The greatest joy she gets out of working at BGC is the people she works alongside, which generally involves working in multi- disciplinary teams of hydrogeologists, hydrologists, geohazard specialists, tailings engineers, etc.

Ray Craddock, M.A.Sc., P.Geo.

Ray is a DAL alumnus, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences and a master’s degree in Civil and Resource Engineering (hydrogeology). His career in hydrogeology started with a part-time job for a local consultant and he now works as a mine hydrogeologist who likes to dabble in coastal hydrogeology research. Ray’s work generally involves physical hydrogeology scopes, including dam seepage assessments, mine dewatering, or tailings stabilization. Ray loves the mix between field and office work that his career brings, along with the technically challenging work and visits to sites across Canada.

Nora Whelan, M.Sc.

Nora is a DAL alumna where she finished two bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Earth Science while also working as a technician in the CRISDal Lab. Nora then moved to B.C. where she completed her Master’s degree in landslide geochronology with Brent Ward. Nora’s interest in geohazards introduced her to the pipelines sector where she focuses on geohazard mitigation. Nora is currently working on the operations team for a mining client in Central America.