How did you become involved in the Student
Project Symposium today? Well, I was involved
in this research project doing my undergraduate
thesis and I saw the posters everywhere on
campus and I thought it would be a really
good opportunity to interact with high school
kids and get them interested in Geology. Do
you know how others could be involved in this?
I think anyone, as long as you have something
that you're interested in and you put time
into it and you want to display it to everyone
here at the university and the high school
kids that come. So could just briefly describe
for me your project? Yeah, so my project started
when I got a job offer at the Cigar Lake project
with Cameco and I noticed that they had this
problematic rock with a lot rockfalls and
flood ins and I saw an opportunity to figure
out this rock for them, so I collected 93
samples, brought them back here, cut up thin
sections of the rock, and I've been examining
them and laying out characteristics of the
rock so they can have better mine development.
So what did you ultimately learn or discover
during this? Well, I'm still not finished
- I'm going to present it in the spring - and
so far I've found that it's a highly altered
metapelay and they've actually named the rock
type, improperly, and there's a lot of chlorate
alternation and a lot of interesting structures
within it, but I'm still figuring out a lot
more information in the next couple months,
so it's been good. So what people or businesses
or departments did you work with during this
project? Well, I've been involved with Cameco
through it. They've funded my project and
also with Dr. Kevin Ansvil, who used to be
the head for the department for Geology and
is now a professor in patroligy in the Geology
department. So, how has this experience informed
your future aspirations or career goals? It's
definitely pumped them up. I love Geology
and going this project has made me realized
that I can do a lot more independent research,
taken me out of the classroom, a lot more
hands-on, and going through thought processes
myself instead of just having questions asked
of me. I'm asking the questions and then figuring
them out, so I've loved it. It's been great
and I'm excited about Geology.
