Meet our team of passionate scientists!
Katherine Boggs
Director
Chair of Canadian National Committee for International Union of Geological Sciences (CNC-IUGS), International Director of Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) and Associate Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University
Katherine is fascinated by the processes that form the “Earth beneath our feet”. She is the Director for the Community Science Liaison program that strives to embed place- and curriculum-based citizen science programs in Canadian kindergarten to grade 12 classrooms. Teachers appreciate these projects because they bring the real world into their classrooms, students feel empowered because they contribute towards improved understanding of their scientific-environmental backyards and scientists get rejuvenated passions for their disciplines through these student’s enthusiasm and energetic approaches to these programs.
Katherine is also a very passionate promoter of the geosciences and has just recently developed a model to change the general public perception of the geosciences through national and international collaborations across these geoscience communities represented by various components of this Canadian bid to host IGC 2028.
In addition to being the Chair for the CNC – IUGS and the International Director for the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences; Katherine developed significant management, leadership and communication skills through her 33 years in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserves (RCNR) where she was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee medal for her combined service to the RCNR and the geoscience academic community.
Amrine Dubois Gafar
Program Manager
Amrine is a geology graduate from the University of Leeds (UK) and has recently relocated to Calgary from Ireland. There, she worked at Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) and at University College Dublin (UCD), working in geology education and outreach initiatives, and on sustainable and regenerative tourism projects.
Through her background in geology, combined with her experiences working in numerous settings, she realised she wanted to share her passion for geology and raise public awareness and engagement with this fascinating and multi-faceted science, predominantly through educational means.
Developing educational resources alongside teachers, engaging communities in Citizen Science activities, being a part of initiatives such as ‘Girls into Geoscience’ (now ‘Get into Geoscience’), being the project geologist in an Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark and project managing a cross-county and cross-country regenerative tourism project are amongst some of her career highlights.
She looks forward to learning many new things, continuing her work in Calgary, between the Rocky Mountains (a huge geological playground!) and the badland landscape, and to showing this amazing place off in 2028 when the International Geological Congress (IGC) will be hosted in Calgary.
Building Resistance to Vaccine Misinformation (BRVM) Team
Brendan Lazar
Designer and Biomedical Communicator
Brendan is a graduate from the University of Toronto Biomedical Communications Program. For his Master’s Research Project, he developed an animation covering the science of retinal organoids. Brendan has had a role in developing designs including logos and illustrations for the Community Science Liaison program, as well as general website design and building some of the educational modules. He currently works as a designer and biomedical communicator.
Charles Neild
Grade 3 teacher in Inuvik, NWT
Charles Neild is a graduate of Mount Royal University’s Education program and is currently an Elementary teacher working in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Charles is looking forward to piloting the permafrost module and the geological bumblebee project for arctic regions in the coming year.
Professionally he loves the idea that students can participate in science and contribute to real research while also building the skills needed to make and build the future.
Alex Cuncannon
Working in the Crisis Intervention and Stabilization Unit
Alex completed a Masters in Nursing at University of Calgary and is currently completing his nursing PhD. He works in the crisis intervention and stabilization unit.