Employment & Opportunities

MSc/PhD Student Funding through the John. J. Gurney Postgraduate Scholarship - University of Cape Town

A competitively awarded scholarship, in honour of the late Prof. John J. Gurney, is being offered to support postgraduate research on some aspect of the geology of kimberlites, diamonds or the deep lithosphere (mantle and/or lower crust) at the University of Cape Town. The scholarship provides ZAR150 000 (South African Rand) per year to cover living expenses and tuition fees (the latter are currently ZAR30 000-35 000 per year), plus an additional R50 000 per year toward research-related expenses. The maximum terms of the scholarship are two years for the MSc or three years for the PhD. Continuation of funding after the first year is contingent upon satisfactory progress. The recipient’s main supervisor must be a UCT academic staff member, but co-supervision by academic or industry scientists from other institutions is possible, as are joint degrees with other academic institutions. Postgraduate study in the Department of Geological Sciences is by dissertation only, although the recipient will have the option to undertake coursework if deemed necessary or beneficial. The primary supervisor need not necessarily be in the Department of Geological Sciences.

Applicants of any nationality are eligible. Candidates must provide:
1.  a short CV providing the applicant’s educational and relevant professional background and list of publications (if any),
2.  transcripts of undergraduate and any postgraduate coursework/degrees (electronic copies must be provided, they need not be certified at this stage),
3. names and contact details of two appropriate referees familiar with the applicant’s work and ability, and
4. a short proposal (two pages maximum) outlining the candidate’s chosen research problem, the approach s/he intend to use to address it, and the names of the supervisor(s) with whom s/he intends to work.

The application deadline is November 30, 2020. Please send all application materials as a single PDF document to Prof. Phil Janney ( ). Evaluation of applications will be performed by a panel including UCT and international academics and industry scientists. The start date is flexible, but should be sometime in 2021 and no earlier than the start of the first semester at UCT in March (subject to conditions of the national COVID emergency in South Africa).

News & Events

MSc Thesis Defense - Dylan Cone

Title: Crystallization of megacrysts by carbonatitic metasomatism: Evidence from the Muskox kimberlite, Nunavut, Canada

Date & Time: Thursday, November 5th at 8:00am

Place: Zoom

EOAS Colloquium - Dr. Nancy Williams

Title: TBA

Date & Time: Thursday, November 5th at 11:00am

Place: Zoom Room

Virtual Screening - "Picture a Scientist"

The Pacific Museum of Earth is hosting a virtual screening of the film Picture a Scientist, Nov 6-8. If you haven’t already seen this film, you are encouraged to watch and invite your friends and colleagues to also watch.

You can view the trailer and register for FREE tickets anytime before the Nov 6-8 screening window. Once you register, you will be sent a link to view the film prior to the screening. You can watch it anytime & as many times as you’d like during the Nov 6-8 screening window.

In collaboration with the EDI committee, the PME will be hosting a series of discussions for EOAS students, faculty, and staff following the  November screening.

IOS Seminar: Dr. Andrew Ross

Title: Spatial and temporal variations in copper ligand concentration along Line P

Date & Time: Friday, November 6th at 10:15am

Place: Zoom Room

Abstract:

Marine phytoplankton, which form the basis of the oceanic food web, require small amounts of iron, copper and other micronutrient trace metals to act as enzyme co-factors in key biological processes. The bioavailability of trace metals introduced by rivers, sediments or airborne dust depends in part upon complexation by dissolved organic ligands, a process likely to be affected significantly by ocean acidification and climate change. We used immobilized copper(II)-ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) to isolate and obtain information about the distribution and potential sources of copper-complexing ligands along Line P. Filtered seawater samples were collected from up to five stations in June 2016, June 2017, August 2017, and September 2018. Copper ligand concentrations measured by IMAC were consistently higher at coastal station P4 than at other stations, particularly in surface waters. At outer station P26, ligand depth profiles in June 2017 and September 2018 were remarkably similar despite seasonal differences in ocean temperature. At all stations, the depth of highest ligand concentration generally coincided with the chlorophyll maximum depth, implying that marine phytoplankton may be a significant source of copper ligands along Line P. Comparisons with hydrographic data and published results from the Canadian Arctic and NE Pacific suggest that marine and terrestrial humic substances also contribute to the pool of copper ligands captured by IMAC. The apparent stability of this pool at station P26 may have implications for the bioavailability of trace metals deposited periodically by airborne dust, a significant source of micronutrients in these waters. Ongoing research aimed at identifying these ligands and their potential sources will also be discussed.

MSc Thesis Defense: Sofya Niyazova

Title: Felsic xenoliths assimilation in the Renard 65 kimberlite pipe, Québec, Canada

Date & Time: Monday, November 9th at 2:00pm

Place: Zoom

UBC Gender Equity & STEM Conference

The UBC Gender Equity & STEM Conference 2020 is scheduled to take place virtually on Saturday November 14th from 9:15 am to 2:45 pm. Registrants are permitted to attend part of the event. The main goal of this conference is to advance dialogue around gender inclusion and equality in STEM fields, specifically with regards to women and other gender-oppressed communities, and equip attendees with the inspiration and motivation to tackle the STEM gender gap in their own spheres. Topics will include the stigma and bias women and gender-oppressed communities face when pursuing careers and education in STEM, how these communities have made a positive impact on the world through STEM, how the gender gap in STEM can best be addressed through policy and innovation, and the societal, health and economic impacts of addressing this gap. 

Featured speakers include:

• Cybele Negris, Co-Founder & CEO Webnames.ca, Canada's Original .CA Registrar
• Dr. Anne Condon, Professor of Computer Science, UBC, previous NSERC Chairholder for Women in Science and Engineering
• Paloma Corvalan, President, Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)
• Dr. Steph van Willigenburg, Professor of Mathematics, UBC
• Selena Wilson, Principal Project Manager, Mott MacDonald
• UBC Young Women for STEM members
• And more!

The conference will encourage collaboration across disciplines and experience levels. It is open to everyone! Attendees are invited to learn, share, and collaborate during workshops and engage with speakers during the panel and networking sessions.

Registration:
REGISTER HERE
Registered attendees will be entered to win 1 of 3 Science World T-Shirts! The shirts will be mailed directly to the lucky winners.

Additional conference details:
UBC Young Women for STEM Conference Page
Facebook Event