Harquail School of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University

💛💙We'll be back in for the Canadian Mining Expo on June 10-11!
🙌 Visit the Laurentian University - Université Laurentienne booth to talk with us & friends from School of Mines, Laurentian University about opportunities in mining, program options, supports, and what it's like being a Laurentian student!
⚒️ Alumni: come by and find out what's new! 🏔 Enter to win our draw prize (it's cool).
💛💙 Our booth will be at Arena 1, R4-07. See you soon!

Stefanie Kisluk will defend her MSc Geology thesis on the “Chemostratigraphy and Volcanic Environment of the Ben Nevis Volcanic Complex, Ontario, Canada” tomorrow, June 2nd, 3026, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Join us in room B8024 at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences or join our Zoom Meeting, see details on our landing page hes.laurentian.ca, in our Linktree.

Stefanie’s MSc thesis is supervised by Dr. Ross Sherlock. Professor Dr. Bruno Lafrance and Drs. Kate Rubingh and Keaton Strongman are also part of her thesis committee.

In her geology career, Stefanie has been working at Bayside Geoscience, Magna Mining and, for the past two years, at IAMGOLD.

Join Stefanie Kisluk for her MSc Geology thesis defence Seminar Room B8024 at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences on June 2nd, 2026, 1:00 PM. Her research is the “Chemostratigraphy and Volcanic Environment of the Ben Nevis Volcanic Complex, Ontario, Canada”.

Stefanie’s MSc thesis is supervised by Dr. Ross Sherlock, and our structural geology professor Dr. Bruno Lafrance is part of her thesis committee.

Come in person, or join our Zoom Meeting, see details on our landing page hes.laurentian.ca, in our Linktree above ⬆️

Attn 3rd-year (starting 4th year in Sept) EARTH SCIENCES BSc students: there is still time to get your application in for the $5,000 APGO scholarships. Be like your amazing predecessors Jacklyn Krueger, Rowan Perrott, Luc Roy, Paige Pilote, and Derek Leung - apply & perhaps you will be rewarded for your hard work, like they were!

Great opportunity for geoscience students in Ontario 👇

The APGO Education Foundation has officially extended the deadline for its annual scholarships to June 1, 2026.

Two $5,000 scholarships are available for students entering the fourth year of a geoscience degree program in Ontario. One of the scholarships, the Dr. Robert Hodder Memorial Scholarship, is focused on students with a passion for economic geology.

Since 2016, the Foundation has awarded 19 scholarships with a total value of $95,000 to help support the next generation of geoscience professionals.

If you or someone you know may qualify, applications and details can be found here:
https://apgoef.ca/scholarships/

Read press release here:https://apgoef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/press-release-scholarship-may-21-2026.pdf

Deadline: June 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

Our Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), in collaboration with Mattagami First Nation and Matachewan First Nation, recently hosted a geoscience learning event. Attendees included Carla Petahtegoose, Stephen Piercey, Rasmus H. Nielsen, and Earth Sciences students Ahmed Shahjeed Ul-Azam and John Wiitala.

The day began with an Anishnawbe Powagan (pipe) ceremony and teachings, where community members gathered with Elders and Knowledge Keepers. This opening emphasized respect, intention, and approaching the land with awareness. Participants were introduced to cultural protocols, including the importance of offering to***co when taking from the land as a gesture of reciprocity.

Following the ceremony, the group engaged in land-based learning, examining local outcrops within the territory. Geological discussions focused on mineralogy, textures, and the 2.7-billion-year history of the rocks. Cross-cutting relationships were highlighted as key evidence of multiple stages of geological activity.

The experience also integrated Indigenous perspectives, where rocks were described as Miishomis (Grandfather) reflecting their age, presence, and role within the landscape. This relational understanding encouraged participants to view geology not only as a physical science but as part of a worldview and way of life, reinforcing the importance of cultural awareness in fieldwork.

The group later reconvened to reflect on their observations, blending scientific explanations with traditional knowledge. This created a collaborative, community-based learning environment that emphasized inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches. The day concluded with a small feast to honour the shared intentions and experiences.

Overall, the field experience combined technical geological knowledge with cultural awareness and community engagement, highlighting the importance of respectful relationships with the land and the integration of Indigenous knowledge into geoscience practices.

We had the pleasure of touring a group of international recruitment agents through the teaching laboratories of the Harquail School of Earth Sciences today.

Highlights were the strong hands-on and field focus of our Earth Sciences program, and the broad professional development opportunities with our modular courses and graduate programs.

Our visitors had a great time identifying colourful minerals 🌈 based on their physical properties, using petrographic microscopes 🔬, and learned about specific critical minerals 💎.

Happy Earth Day 🌱 🌎 from our Earth Sciences community to yours!

These shots are from various field trips and field schools over the past two years. The last pic is from today, with Alyne Lalonde doing Earth Day themed activities at the Chelmsford Valley District Composite School.