SEG 45 Final_qx4 - Society of Economic Geologists

SEG NEWS
16 SEG NEWSLETTER No 63 • OCTOBER 2005
SEG Thayer Lindsley Lecture Tour - 2004
François Robert (SEG 1991 F)
Barrick Gold Corporation
Reflecting back on my Thayer Lindsley
lecture tour after several months, I can
offer a clearer perspective on the high
value of such lecture tours for SEG and
for the institutions visited (especially students),
as well as for the lecturer and his
employer (Barrick Gold, in my case).
Four presentations were offered in the
course of the year: Characteristics of lode
gold deposits in greenstone belts; Giant
gold deposits of the Abitibi greenstone
belt; Controls and timing of gold-quartz
veins in the Val d’Or district, Abitibi
greenstone belt; Geology and setting of
gold deposits in the North Carlin trend,
Nevada. Each lecture also emphasized
the importance of understanding the
regional geology in deciphering the controls
on the location of deposit and the
role of basic field geology in developing
such understanding. The Carlin lecture
was the most commonly requested one,
followed by the review of characteristics
of greenstone gold deposits. The lectures
were tailored to the needs of the local
institutions, and ranged from a halfhour
talk, as part of a local symposium,
to 45-minute lectures, to two-hour seminars.
Most institutions requested two presentations,
in a few cases back-to-back
with a 15 min break in between!
Owing to my relocation of family
from Perth to Montreal in the middle of
Organizers of the two Thayer Lindsley lectures presented at
Laval University, Quebec City. From left to right: Benoît Dubé
(local SEG sponsor); Georges Beaudoin (faculty sponsor); and
executive members of the SEG-student chapter at Laval: Martin
Aucoin (Treasurer); Julie Bernard (Vice President); François
Robert (Thayer Lindsley lecturer); Nancy Lafrance (President);
Virgine Garnier (Vice President, external affairs).
the year to become Barrick’s Chief
Geologist – South America, the lecture
tour consisted of an Australian leg in the
first half of the year, and a North
American leg in the fall. As a result, 24
lectures were presented in 16 cities. In
Australia, I visited Monash University
(Melbourne), CODES-University of
Tasmania (Hobart), James Cook
University (Townsville), and CGM-
University of Western Australia (Perth). I
also gave a presentation to a group of
Placer Dome geologists in Kalgoorlie.
During the North American leg, I visited
the following US institutions: South
Dakota School of Mines (Rapid City),
Montana Tech Institute (Butte), New
Mexico Tech Institute (Socorro), and
Colorado School of Mines (Golden). In
Canada, I visited MDRU-University of
British Columbia and the Geological
Survey of Canada (Vancouver),
University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon),
Laurentian University and Sudbury
Geological Discussion Group (Sudbury),
Queen’s University (Kingston), Carleton
University/University of Ottawa
(Ottawa), McGill University (Montreal),
and Laval University (Quebec City).
Unfortunately, I was not able to accommodate
additional requests from Europe
and South America. I was very impressed
with the level of interest in the presentations
themselves,
which attracted an
average attendance
of 20 to 30 geologists,
and the level of
questions and discussions
that followed,
formally…and informally,
around some
drinks.
At all institutions,
as much as the
schedule allowed, I
also made a point to
discuss geology and
research with
selected faculty
members and graduate
students. This
was a way both to
learn what is happening
on the
research front and to
share the perspective
of a large exploration
company on
university-based
research. In several
institutions, I
also made
informal presentations
to
graduate and
undergraduate
students during which I shared my
views on the challenges and rewards of
working for a large exploration company,
provided information about
Barrick Gold, and answered questions
(and there were generally many) regarding
employment opportunities and
careers in mineral exploration. In a few
specific cases, I also interviewed undergraduate
students with a view to identifying
top candidates for vacation
employment or even permanent positions
within the company.
What are the benefits of all this? For
SEG, this is an excellent vehicle to expose
its members, and especially student
members, to the latest ideas in diverse
fields of economic geology, conveyed by
geologists with different backgrounds.
This was clearly illustrated by the level of
discussions that followed most presentations.
In my particular case, these lectures
are also a good way for SEG to promote
a closer link and closer
communication between academia and
industry. For the lecturer, the real benefits
were new ideas and concepts about
gold deposits and their exploration, as
well as a clarification of some puzzling
aspects of what I was lecturing about (!).
And the networking aspect of such lecture
tours is not to be overlooked. For
Barrick, besides contributing to the visibility
of the company, this lecture tour
resulted in the hiring of top-quality new
graduates for exploration and mine geology
teams. This also resulted in the funding
of a few new research projects that
were initially discussed or identified during
the tour.
I must thank SEG for providing this
unique opportunity, as well as logistical
and financial assistance. Thanks also to
all the students and faculty that organized
my lectures and associated social
events, and for hosting me so well.
Thanks also to me employer for allowing
me to invest the time in preparing and
delivering these lectures. Finally, I cannot
close this note without saying that I
felt rather distinguished at the beginning
of this exciting assignment, but that I
was fairly extinguished by the end! This
was a very positive and stimulating
experience on all fronts. 1