Meet the graduate students
(recent and ongoing)
Nickolas Mesich, MSc student
Research
Nickolas' research focuses on investigating the Quaternary stratigraphy and till provenance along the Yakaw and Gods rivers in the Hudson Bay Lowlands of northeastern Manitoba. This area has an extensive sediment record crucial to understanding the glacial cycles of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Nickolas is interested in enhancing standard till analysis practices (e.g., till matrix geochemistry, till fabric analysis, clast lithology counts) with underutilized techniques (e.g., machine learning, hyperspectral analysis).
Bio
Nickolas completed his BSc in Earth Sciences (Geology specialization) in 2023 at the University of Waterloo. He is now continuing his studies at UW, pursuing a MSc in collaboration with the Manitoba Geological Survey.
Special interests
Besides geology, Nickolas enjoys reading, Muay Thai, collecting records, playing chess, and 80's music.
Tyler Hodder, PhD student
Research
Tyler’s research focuses on furthering our understanding of glacial dynamics within the inner core regions of former ice sheets. Tyler’s current focus is on taking a fresh look at the Quaternary stratigraphy exposed in the Hudson Bay Lowland region of northeast Manitoba. This region of Canada contains thick sediments spanning at least three glacial cycles and offers a snapshot of glacial dynamics near the heart of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
Bio
Tyler obtained his B.Sc. (Honours, Cooperative) in 2012 and M.Sc. in 2014 from the University of Waterloo. He joined the Manitoba Geological Survey in January of 2015 as a Quaternary Geologist. Tyler rejoined the Ross research group (after having never really left) in 2019 as a part-time PhD student.
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Contact:
Twitter: @tjhodder
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tyler_Hodder
Wenyao Liang, MSc student
Research
Wenyao’s research focuses on the surficial geology and till stratigraphy northwest of Great Slave Lake (Northwest Territories). Till samples are analyzed for provenance analysis (e.g., indicator minerals, matrix geochemistry). Wenyao is currently focusing on the interpretation and integration of till fabric and other data collected from drumlin sections. Future work will focus on the analysis of transport history and glacial processes in the drumlin field.
Bio
Wenyao completed his BSc in Earth Sciences (Geology specialization) in 2021 at the University of Waterloo. He then started his MSc at the University of Waterloo as part of a project in collaboration with the Northwest Territories Geological Survey.
Special interests
Hobbies: Enjoys playing sports, video games, and watching the NBA
Robin Taves, MSc student
Research
Robin investigates the glacial geology record of the James Bay Lowland by interpreting till stratigraphy of bluffs near the Albany River (Ogoki Post region) using sediment geochemistry, clast lithology counts, and till clast fabrics and by linking this with the glacial landform record within and around the Winisk Ice Stream. The research aims to further our understanding of regional ice flow history and sediment dispersal patterns and how it can be applied to mineral exploration under glacial cover.
Bio
Robin completed her BSc in Earth Sciences (Geology specialization) in 2017 at the University of Waterloo. She now works at De Beers Exploration full time while studying and working on her MSc thesis part time.
Special interests
Hobbies: Enjoys being active by running, cycling, or paddling. She has a full time bird obsession and always keeps binoculars in her field vest
Caroline Taylor, MSc student
Research
Some of the most mineral resource-rich areas in the world are covered by extensive and complex glacial sediments. Drift prospectors face the challenge of identifying and locating mineral deposits under these conditions, and they have found various ways of using different components of glacial sediments to tease out traces of a range of deposit types. However, different kinds of drift prospecting techniques present their own challenges and limitations and leave room for innovation with present-day advances in technology and exploration.
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Caroline’s research interests lie in developing, testing, and evaluating innovations in applied drift prospecting techniques. In her MSc work, she is using the world-class Canadian Malartic gold deposit within the Abitibi Gold Belt, Québec, Canada, as a case study, as part of the NSERC-CMIC Mineral Exploration Footprints Research Network.
Special interests
Hobbies: Skydiving, wind tunnel body flying, rock climbing, and gardening.
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Favourite joke: Describing herself as a professional drifter.
Rebecca Stirling, MSc student
Research
Rebecca’s research in the highly prospective diamond region southeast of Lac de Gras seeks to explore and understand the controls of bedrock topography, drift thickness, and landforms on 3D dispersal patterns in an unprecedented way, leading to the development of non-standard strategies for drift prospecting in this and other challenging regions. She competed as the Science Faculty finalist in the 2018 UWaterloo 3 Minute Thesis competition to the cheers of Dr. Ross’ research team. Rebecca is in her final stages of writing her M.Sc. as part of the larger NTGS Slave Province Surficial Materials and Permafrost Study.
Bio
Rebecca earned her B.Sc. with distinction from Vancouver Island University and worked in all stages of mineral exploration and mining with accomplished professionals: from grassroots and advanced exploration, to mine start-up through end of production.
The nature of the work allowed her to earn her pilot licence and explore the spectacular coastal landscape from the air, appreciate breathtaking hidden waterfalls in remote areas of wilderness, and marvel at glacially sculpted outcrop and mountain ranges of western Canada.
Grant Hagedorn, MSc student
Research
Grant’s research focuses on reconstructing the Laurentide Ice Sheet for a region of southwestern Northwest Territories. His work includes deciphering ice flow directions, characterizing stratigraphic sections, and explaining regional deglaciation. Grant’s thesis also contains a large mapping component; specifically, two 1:100 000 scale surficial geology maps. For an in-depth look at the science behind this project, the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group asked him to write a research spotlight on his work and includes a reference to a scientific poster he made for GAC-MAC 2019.
Bio
Grant completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph with a major in Environmental Geoscience and Geomatics. He then started his M.Sc. at the University of Waterloo as part of a multifaceted project in conjunction with the Geological Survey of Canada.
Ameerah Rashid, MSc student
Research
Ameerah Rashid is a Master of Science candidate specializing in hydrogeology at the University of Waterloo. Her research revolves around understanding the intricate dynamics of a glaciofluvial groundwater system located in Western Finland. Ameerah’s research project will provide critical quantitative knowledge through the development of a numerical model to help the region achieve its sustainable development plan and to optimize protection of its groundwater resources.
Bio
Ameerah completed her Bachelor of Science at McMaster University majoring in Earth and Environmental Science and minoring in Geographic Information System and Chemistry. When she’s taking a break from her crucial role as the Favela gatekeeper, she can be found flipping through a Finnish-English dictionary.