Undergraduate Spotlight: Ryan Shaw

"Geological Sciences and/or Geological Engineering has so many different paths to explore, from tunnelling projects to paleontology. Geology impacts everyone in the world in ways that they can’t begin to imagine!"

Hometown: St. Marys, ON

Program: Geological Engineering

Current year: 4^th

Why I chose Geology:

It’s been a lifelong passion! I loved volcanoes and earthquakes when I was 7, and then discovered a Grow-Your-Own Mineral kit, the rest is history. I decided to take this passion and combine it with engineering in order to learn and develop problem-solving, teamwork and design skills.

Student involvement/extracurricular activities I am involved with:

Miller Club (Departmental Student Council), Intramural Volleyball, Fix n’ Clean (volunteers complete tasks for people in the community who are unable to do so themselves), AMS Front Desk Staff Member, Research Assistant in the Geology Department

The professor(s) or course which has influenced me the most so far:

I would have to say that the field school after second year (GEOE/L 300) has influenced me the most. It was a fun and intense introduction to field work. I discovered my passion for being out in the field and conducting geological surveys of an area. It brought my classmates and I closer together through this shared experience, forging friendships that will last a lifetime. It was the first taste of a variety of different field work projects, and I look forward to building upon it in the future.

Most memorable Queen’s experience so far:

Far and away my most memorable experience at Queen’s is Frosh Week. It’s a crazy, fun, high energy week packed with meeting new people and exciting events. It’s a great introduction to the traditions and community feel of Queen’s. I guarantee you will never experience anything else like it!

After I graduate, I:

Hope to work in Environmental consulting. I would like to specialize in hydrogeology and work in aspects of geochemistry or geophysics. At some point I would like to get a Master’s, and perhaps a Ph.D. I hope that my work will take me to different places in Canada and the world.

One big goal I’d like to accomplish during my lifetime:

I would like to be a part of a successful, large-scale remediation project. To be able to say that the site has been cleared of contaminants and return it to a state where it can be enjoyed by the public, support wildlife, and be a functioning part of the ecosystem.