The 57th Western Inter-University Geoscience Conference (WIUGC) took place on January 4th to 7th 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. WIUGC was hosted this year by the University of Manitoba’s Geology Club. For a year and a half, they worked hard to put together an amazing event, bringing together students and professionals from across Canada to this event to network with other emerging geologists and find summer jobs. This conference was a great way to make connections to other students within Canada who are also going into geology or the earth sciences field. Students from Calgary University, Mount Royal University, Brandon University, and University of Manitoba were all in attendance.
During this three-day event, the students put together some amazing social activities, including:
On the first day of the event, a “rockbreaker” bingo and mini games were played throughout the night. The event was held at the Pyramid Cabaret in downtown Winnipeg. This event helped us mingle and get to know each other in a non-formal manner.
The conference included two field trips on January 5th. Students attending could choose between touring the University of Manitoba’s geology labs, or travelling to Morden, Manitoba to get a tour of the Discovery Centre labs and seeing Bruce, the well-known mosasaur. A career fair was held with both junior and major companies. The career fair was a great experience to meet possible summer employers and make connections with people in companies spread across Canada.
The third day included short talks where people shared the work and exploration that they have done and plan on doing throughout 2024 and years to come. In one noteworthy talk, Alyson Stauffer, an undergraduate student from Mount Royal University which is located in Calgary, presented her research on cyclic lacustrine cycles of the Chemeron Formation in Baringo Basin in Kenya.
After these short talks, students participated as teams of two in a challenge bowl, where students compete in a trivia contest to win a cash prize and a chance to compete further in Calgary. Ten teams participated in the challenge bowl, including two Brandon University students.
The WIUGC was formally concluded with a banquet and award ceremony on January 6th.
Networking events are important in this field of study, as geology is a close and intertwined community that is very critical to be a part of as a student. The relationships built between the students are bonds that will continue to grow as we enter the workforce together.