Hailey Doney is currently completing her B.Sc, in Geology, University of Calgary. Her undergraduate thesis is trend mapping of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Monteith Formation. Hailey is vice-president, academics, for the Rundle Geology Club and an active member of both the APEGGA Student Liaison Committee and the GeoSkills planning committee.

GeoSkills 2011, held recently in Calgary, again proved popular with geoscience students. Their attendance was higher than ever this year, a strong indicator they are interested in networking with industry professionals to learn about topics that will help their future careers.

Geoscience students from all Alberta universities, including Grant MacEwan University, Edmonton, mixed with industry professionals in this mini convention, attending talks on high-interest and relevant topics.

The 4th annual conference was bigger and better than ever before. It was mainly organized by students from the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and the University of Alberta, with guidance and sponsorship from professionals at APEGGA, CSPG, CSEG.

The planning committee worked hard all summer to secure sponsorships from various student geosciences clubs, as well as industry and professional associations. Posters were made and distributed around schools, and advertisements were put in the PEG magazine and the CSEG Recorder.

Sharing Their Experience
Top ranking geoscientists agreed to be speakers at the event. Keynote speakers included David Halwas, P. Geol., Suncor, who highlighted the different types of companies geoscientists work for. He discussed the interview process and preparation, as well as what makes a good candidate in a competitive market.

Great information for graduating students.

The second keynote speaker, Dr. David Bethune, P.Geol., a hydrogeologist with a broad international portfolio, gave a talk on groundwater science and its connection to the geosciences. He spoke of the harsh reality of a global water shortage and increased ground-water dependence.

Dr. Bethune discussed his work with the CARA network and the topic was a reality check for most attendees who forget how lucky we are to have so much clean, available water in Canada. The CARA network began in 1999 and focuses on ground-water education in various countries in Latin America.