Distinguished Lecturers - Description
CIM Distinguished Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities related to the minerals industry, and speak at CIM Branch meetings across the country. Click here to request a Lecturer.
Sponsored by Atlas Copco and the Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Foundation.
Click here to download the 2009-2010 Distinguished Lecturers Flyer.
This Year's Winners | 2009-2010 (Click name for quick navigation)
George J. Kipouros | Kelly Lendsay | Engin Özberk | Steven Scott | Don Thompson
George J. KipourosHalifax, NS
For his outstanding contributions to materials science and engineering, particularly through his research activities, his dedication to teaching and his service to the CIM Metallurgical Society.
Georges J. Kipouros obtained his Diploma of Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and his M.Sc. and PhD from the University of Toronto. He then worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for three years as a postdoctoral research associate.
For the next five years, Kipouros worked for General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren, Michigan, as a senior research scientist. Returning to academia, he joined Dalhousie Technical University where he held numerous positions, such as head of the mining and metallurgical engineering department, assistant dean of engineering and vice chair of the Senate of Dalhousie University. Kipouros is currently a professor of materials engineering in the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, and director of the Minerals Engineering Centre. His main research interests are in alloy development, powder metallurgy, corrosion and processing in molten salts. He teaches thermodynamics, kinetics, electrochemistry and advanced materials science.
His most recent awards include the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS/NSERC Award) Invitation Fellowship 2007 and the Metal Chemistry Award from the CIM Metallurgical Society.
As Distinguished Lecturer George J. Kipouros will present:
Materials and Asset Integrity
The extraction and transportation of minerals require a continuous development of new and sophisticated assets that include devices and lightweight structures. Many advances have relied on the development of new materials while other technologically advanced ideas are limited by the lack of suitable materials. Asset integrity includes protection from degradation, particularly corrosion, which in turn requires the development of new materials and designs. A comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to degradation of materials will be more important in the near future as climate change imposes severe changes in the interface between corroding media and materials of construction. The lecture will discuss the present understanding of the interplay between materials and their environment, the design of materials and the effects of these parameters on corrosion.
Kelly LendsaySaskatoon, SK
For his leadership in pioneering innovations that are helping employers grow organizations of inclusion, ensuring and accelerating Aboriginal recruitment, retention and advancement.
Kelly Lendsay is recognized as one of Canada's foremost innovators of Aboriginal diversity in Canada. His career has been a series of catalytic flashpoints demonstrating that with effective networks, corporate and community goals can translate smoothly into advancing educational, employment and economic opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples. As president and CEO of the Aboriginal Human Resource Council, he leads the design of partnerships and knowledge networks that address a diverse range of Aboriginal human resource development issues.
In 2007, in recognition of its 100th anniversary, the University of Saskatchewan honoured Lendsay as one of the University’s 100 Alumni of Influence — a designation given to 100 exceptional graduates whose accomplishments have influenced the growth and development of the university, the province and the world during the last century.
A proud Canadian of Métis, Cree and European ancestry, Lendsay earned his B.Sc. in kinesiology and physiology minor in 1981 and his MBA in 1993 from the University of Saskatchewan, with as research focus on strategies to increase Aboriginal business education and economic development. He was the co-recipient of the All-Around Outstanding MBA Graduate Award presented by the Canadian Institute of Management.
In 1998, Lendsay became the first president of the Aboriginal Human Resource Council and has helped grow the organization into Canada’s most recognized leading innovator in recruitment, retention and advancement. His consulting study, The Impact of the Changing Aboriginal Population on the Saskatchewan Economy: 1995-2045, is one of the most widely cited sources on the implications of Aboriginal demographics and the economy.
His speeches, publications and workshops are widely acclaimed as powerful announcements of the challenges and prospects of full Aboriginal participation in the Canadian economy.
As Distinguished Lecturer Kelly Lendsay will present:
Mastering Aboriginal Inclusion in the Canadian Mining Industry: Leadership – Challenges – Opportunities
Mastering Aboriginal Inclusion, launched in 2007, is a groundbreaking strategy for managers and Canadian companies. Its goal is to guide managers up the climb on the “Inclusion Continuum,” the seven stages of an evolving workplace of inclusion.
No other industry has experienced as much advancement in Aboriginal inclusion as mining and resource development. While the rationale may be rooted in history and geography, the consequences have been significant. This presentation tracks the Aboriginal Human Resource Council’s work with enlightened companies such as Syncrude, Cameco and Diavik and discusses how it developed the first comprehensive, industry-specific guide, Mastering Aboriginal Inclusion in Mining, in partnership with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council in 2009.
The ROI (return on inclusion) is discussed through a spectrum of groundbreaking tools, agreements and approaches that have emerged from management practices and mining partnerships between corporations and communities.
The effect of this lecture will be to make people acutely aware of their leadership responsibility, and the subsequent challenges, in growing a workplace culture of Aboriginal inclusion.
Engin ÖzberkSaskatoon, SK
In recognition of his knowledge, dedication and contribution to research and innovation in the science and application of extractive metallurgy.
Engin Özberk, is vice president, innovation and technology development of Cameco Corporation. He has more than 30 years of research and development and project management experience in light metals, base metals and nuclear industries. He has led and participated in numerous major metallurgical and chemical engineering projects worldwide.
Özberk holds a B.Sc. in metallurgical engineering (1972), Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey; a masters in metallurgical engineering (1979); and a graduate diploma in management (1978), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
Currently, Özberk is co-chair of the Canada Mining Innovation Council transitional board of directors and of the Technical Advisory Committee of the UOIT Cameco Chair for Nuclear Fuel.
He is a CIM Fellow (1994), a recipient of the Silver Medal (1997), the Alcan Award (2006) from the CIM Metallurgical Society, and the Extractive Metallurgy Science Award (1988) from TMS. In 2007, Özberk received the Canadian Nuclear Society Communication and Education Award.
He has authored or coauthored more than 40 papers. Özberk has also chaired numerous international conferences and symposia, as well as being the guest/invited speaker or lecturer at conferences and numerous universities.
As Distinguished Lecturer Engin Özberk will present:
Innovation and Uranium Mining from a Canadian Perspective
Canada is one of the largest uranium-producing countries in the world and Canadian companies are recognized as leaders in many aspects of the international uranium industry, including mining, extraction and refining of uranium, uranium fuel manufacturing, and design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. In the light of its historical background, the status of current uranium mining and processing activities in Canada is reviewed, emphasizing advantages Canadian companies enjoy and challenges they face. The role of innovation in key aspects of uranium mining and processing activities — a source for clean energy — is highlighted, and an approach for ensuring sustainability of the mining operations is proposed.
Steven ScottToronto, ON
In recognition of his leadership in creation of a new subsea mining industry through the investigation and commercialization of deep sea hydrothermal deposits.
Steven Scott is the Dr. Norman B. Keevil Professor Emeritus of Ore Genesis Geology, the McRae-Quantec Professor Emeritus of Geoscience, Director of the Scotiabank Marine Geology Research Laboratory and the past chair of the Department of Geology (2001-2005) and of Geological and Mineral Engineering (1988-1997), all at the University of Toronto. He was educated at the University of Western Ontario (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) and at Penn State (PhD).
Scott is a geologist/oceanographer specializing in base and precious metal sulphide ore deposits, which he and his students have studied on five continents and in three oceans. Since 1982, he has participated on 28 oceanographic surface and submersible expeditions, many of them as chief scientist. He was the first ore deposits geologist and first Canadian to witness the formation of seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits by "black smoker" high temperature hot springs on the deep ocean floor from an occupied submersible.
Scott has published 167 refereed research papers and delivered 493 lectures (419 invited) in 18 countries. He has presented 41 short courses on ore deposits in 11 countries. Many popularized accounts of Scott’s work have appeared in television, radio and print media. He has been honoured with several awards, including an honorary doctorate from France, a Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (1990 Bancroft Award), six societal medals and several distinguished lectureships. He is a director and past president of the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility that operates Canada’s ROPOS robotic submersible, and a vice president of the international Engineering Committee for Ocean Resources (ECOR). In addition, he chairs its marine mining panel. He retired from the University of Toronto in July 2006 and maintains an active research career and consulting business (Marine Mining Consultants).
As Distinguished Lecturer Steven Scott will present:
Seafloor Massive Sulphide Mining – The Dawning of a New Industry
First observed 30 years ago, high-temperature hot springs (black smokers) on the deep ocean floor are precipitating mounds and columnar edifices (chimneys) of copper, zinc, lead, iron and silver sulphides, gold and other major and minor elements. Some deposits are of sufficient size and metal content to be considered for mining. Canadians have played important roles in their geological and geophysical exploration and evaluation.
Steven Scott is a pioneer in the study of these seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits and is the co-discoverer of the Solwara site in the Manus basin of the Bismarck Sea offshore eastern Papua New Guinea. Nautilus Minerals, a headquartered in Toronto, intends to mine the site when the global financial crisis abates and metal prices rebound.
Scott will present an overview of this new type of mineral resource, emphasizing exploration strategies, proposed robotic mining methods, environmental issues unique to these deposits and future prospects for continued commercialization.
Don ThompsonFort McMurray, AB
In recognition of his outstanding contribution and commitment to advancing responsible development of the oil sands and the mining and mineral processing industry in Canada.
Don Thompson is president of The Oil Sands Developers Group (OSDG). His extensive experience with the oil sands industry, in combination with his educational background in forestry, zoology, executive and financial management, has earned him a reputation as a trusted and reliable source to lead and speak on behalf of OSDG. Its mission is to ensure information dissemination to government, key stakeholders and other interested parties about industry perspectives, while bringing forward issues and challenges for the orderly development of Alberta’s oil sands deposits.
In 1979, Thompson joined Syncrude Canada Ltd. becoming corporate secretary and officer in 1998 — a position he held until 2007. Over this period, he was responsible for ensuring the governance of both Syncrude and its housing affiliate, Northward Developments Ltd. Thompson is now focused on Syncrude’s regulatory and external affairs, particularly on responding to the large number of environmental and external relationship challenges facing Syncrude — a position directly related to his work with The Oil Sands Developers Group — and on mentoring the “next generation” of Syncrude expertise.
As Distinguished Lecturer Don Thompson will present:
Setting the Record Straight
Canada’s oil sands are a controversial topic and virtually every newsmaker and layperson seems to have an opinion about this 179 billion barrel resource. The oil sands represent 97 per cent of Canada’s remaining oil reserves, but misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the facts are threatening development of a resource that generates significant employment and tax revenue for Canadians. Join Don Thompson, president of the Oil Sands Developers Group, as he dispels the top ten myths about Canada’s oil sands and presents an alternative perspective on an industry that can play a critical role in North America’s economic recovery.
To request a Lecturer or for further information, please contact:
Distinguished Lecturers ProgramCommunications Department - CIM
Suite 855, 3400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W.
Montreal, Quebec H3Z 3B8
Tel.: (514) 939-2710
Fax: (514) 939-2714
E-mail: programs@cim.org