September 3, 2010

Students solve real-world challenges

Geophysics field school students move beyond classroom into boardroom

It may seem a little like boot camp for some–up early, middle of nowhere, snow, no Facebook or texting–but for the 31 University of Calgary students taking part in a fourth-year geophysics field course, it’s a chance to train in all aspects of geophysical data collection and interpretation crucial to environmental companies and the oil and gas industry.

“Field schools have always been a very memorable experience for students and a tremendous opportunity for learning but we are taking this field course a step further,” say Dr. Don Lawton and Dr. Adam Pidlisecky, geophysics professors from the Department of Geoscience who are co-instructing the program which is taking place west of Calgary in Priddis and in Kananaskis Country, near Bragg Creek.

Instead of submitting individual assignments, students work in teams and in mid-October, they will present their data to an audience of a prestigious group of senior geophysicists from geophysical, oil and gas, and environmental companies who will judge the students posters and presentations.

“We’ve made the stakes higher this year,” adds Pidlisecky. “Last year they presented to faculty members and peers. This year they are presenting to industry leaders, basically their future employers, so a ton is riding on this: grade plus job prospects.”

Each day of the 10-day field camp, students will receive a unique problem similar to what they could very well encounter in industry or research careers and they will set out to solve it as a member of a team. They will be using the latest equipment that is employed in the field to record data using many different techniques, including seismic and electrical methods, to image the earth’s subsurface to identify potential oil and gas fields as well as identify ground water aquifers and recharge zones.

“We feel that this type of reality learning, call it ‘Geophysical Apprentice’ to borrow from Donald Trump’s TV program, is an excellent opportunity not only for students to gain presentation experience and discuss science on their feet, but also for senior managers and recruitment folks from companies to see this year's crop of graduating geophysics students,” says Lawton.

John Varsek, strategy advisor for Cenovus Energy, says this is the most comprehensive geophysics field school he has seen.

“Not only are students learning how to collect data and understand the uncertainties associated with it, but they are learning to interpret the results with sound judgment, work as a team and communicate their results in a compelling fashion.”