October NUI Galway to Host Girls into Geoscience Ireland

Event to demonstrate what an exciting and diverse career women can have in the geoscience sector, which was worth €3.27 billion to the Irish economy in 2016

The second ever ‘Girls into Geoscience Ireland’ event will take place in the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway on Saturday, 10 November. This free event introduces female secondary school and early stage university students to Earth Sciences and demonstrates the breadth of careers available to geoscience graduates.

Girls into Geoscience Ireland consists of a mix of interactive workshops, talks and one-to-one networking sessions where attendees will have the opportunity to speak with current undergraduates, academics, and working professionals about the career opportunities available in Earth Sciences and ask the questions they want to during the ‘Ask a Geoscientist’ session.

Leading the event, Dr Aoife Blowick, post-doctoral researcher in Earth and Ocean Sciences at NUI Galway and chair of the Irish Association for Women in Geosciences said: “This one-day event is an exciting way for young women to discover what geoscience is, how it helps people and why there will always be a need for more geoscientists. The potential of job opportunities in Earth Sciences are limitless, and we want to show what an exciting and diverse career women can have, from engineering geologists who drive innovation, technology and infrastructure to hydrogeologists who ensure we have clean and sustainable sources of water. In one day we are going to dive into the world’s oceans, discover the force of volcanoes and earthquakes, explore the hidden secrets of sand and drill into the ground beneath your feet! These are just some of the thing’s geoscientists do every day around the world and this free event gives young women a taste of that.”

Dr Fergus McAuliffe from the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), added: “Girls into Geoscience Ireland is about showcasing the vast array of exciting careers in geosciences. Attendees will meet professional female geoscientists, hear their amazing career journeys that have taken them around the world, and get involved in hands on activities to show what being a geoscientist feels like. iCRAG is delighted to spearhead this programme which we hope to grow year on year.”

In 2016, the geoscience sector was worth an estimated €3.27 billion to the Irish economy and employed close to 25,000 people (according to Indecon International Economic Consultants, 2017). Geoscientists are employed in a wide range of sectors both in Ireland and abroad in areas such as; raw materials, environmental geoscience, energy resources, natural hazard mitigation, hydrogeology, engineering geology and research. With such a vast array of areas, many geoscientists move between sectors easily while travelling around the world.

Jessica Franklin, now a PhD candidate in Earth and Ocean Sciences at NUI Galway, was an exploration geologist in eastern Canada prospecting for gold before commencing her current research project investigating the sources and pathways of sediment in ancient river systems offshore of Ireland over 200 million years ago.

Catherine Jordan is a marine scientist at NUI Galway using satellite technology to study Phytoplankton blooms in the Atlantic Ocean. Her work involves expeditions aboard the Marine Institute’s Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer research vessels. Previously Catherine worked as a scientific officer for the Loughs Agency in Derry where part of her work involved monitoring the native oyster fishery on Lough Foyle.

Megan Dolan is a geotechnical engineer at NUI Galway studying a large infilled bedrock depression in the Galway region, which is intended to be used for the placement of a tunnel as part of the N6 Galway City outer bypass. Her work involves both field surveying and laboratory testing of field samples to better understand their formation and interpret the history of the area.

Invited speakers include Rebecca Bradford, Geological Survey of Ireland and Professor Maeve Boland, School of Earth Sciences, UCD and iCRAG, who will discuss their career experiences in geoscience both in Ireland and abroad. Through two hands-on workshops, participants will first investigate what lies beneath their feet, digging for precious resources and fresh water in County Galway, before exploring the marine realm and investigating the effects of ocean acidification with climate change. A wide range of geoscientists including academic researchers and public sector professionals from across the country will be there to talk with attendees and discuss why geoscience is a great career choice for them.

This event is being led by NUI Galway and the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences, in collaboration with the discipline of Earth and Ocean Sciences at NUI Galway, the Irish Association for Women in Geosciences and the Geological Survey of Ireland.  

The free event is open to all female students and takes place in the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway on Saturday, 10 November from 10am to 4pm. To register, visit: www.eventbrite.ie and search ‘Girls into Geoscience’.

For more information, logon to: www.girlsintogeoscienceireland.wordpress.com and www.irishawg.wordpress.com/events/.

Follow on Twitter @GirlsintoGeo_ie, on Facebook at GirlsintoGeoIreland and on Instagram @girls_into_geo.

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