I am Head of the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. I hold my Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo which I received in 1993 and held my 2nd Queen’s Chair in Teaching and Learning from 2006-2009. I am a member of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and in 2012 I was given the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Award for unlocking the potential of Ontario’s young people. I am the co-founder of Inquiry @ Queens with Jackie Druery as my co-chair. Inquiry @ Queens is a program that assists Queen’s undergraduates to discover the satisfaction of well-conducted research.
I am also Co-Chair, Independent Advisory Group (GeoSciences, 2013 to the present), Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, tasked with review of national and international research concerning the future storage of Canada’s used nuclear fuel. Canada is working towards a safe and secure storage solution consistent with international regulations and best practice.
My past research focused on the hydrogeology of clay-rich, unlithified deposits (aquitards) and hydraulic properties. My research involved the use of naturally occurring groundwater tracers including stable isotopes of water, major ions, minor ions and trace gases. I am considered an expert in the hydrogeology of low permeability systems, with a focus on sydepositional processes that affect groundwater flow systems. In 2012, I worked with Victor Diamond to characterize the properties of the complex overburden deposits.
My current research is in education around field learning and the potential connection between that and critical thinking and experiential learning.
