Schools Geology Challenge and Early Career Award 2013
Sarah Day on the results of the second annual Schools Geology Challenge and Early Career Awards, the finals of which took place at the Society on Tuesday 23 May
After a successful first year, the finals of both awards were held again at the Society this year, hosted by Society Vice President Paul Maliphant.
‘Winners and finalists alike were all excited by the bringing together of early career professionals and A level students, in such an educational and fun arena’ says Paul.
The team from Wells Cathedral School with their teacher, David Rowley
The A level students, winners from regional group competitions held across the country, each provided a poster on a chosen topic, gave a presentation and participated in a quiz fire quiz. The early career finalists, also representing their regional groups, each gave a 20 minute presentation on their work in geology.
The winning school, Wells Cathedral School, delivered an engaging and entertaining presentation on the evolution of the eye which impressed the judges – who included Society President David Shilston, and Executive Secretary Edmund Nickless.
The Early Career Award yielded two winners – hydrogeologist Rosalind Pedder, finalist from the Southern Wales Regional Group, who spoke on ‘Impeller flow logging in fractured crystalline rock at a proposed open-pit mine site', and Oxford University PhD student Owen Weller, the Thames Valley Regional Group finalist, whose talk was entitled ‘Zircon: the geological time keeper’.
Rosalind and Owen, with their jointly won award
All students who participated in the finals were awarded Junior Candidate Fellowship of the Geological Society.