Geophysics plays a vital role in the renewal of key global resources and in advancing the understanding of global geoscience aspects and processes. As the principal technological forum for Canadian mining geophysics, KEGS (The Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society) has become increasingly concerned about:
- Significant decline in geophysics enrollment in Canada;
- Shrinking geoscience departments; and
- Reduced government support.
These concerns are heightened by the fact that in the current millenium increased global resource utilization and other critical geoscience issues (e.g., environmental problems and earthquake mitigation) will inevitably require additional innovative and knowledgeable geophysicists.
To help address these concerns, the KEGS Foundation was established in 1999 with the principal objectives of:
- Providing scholarships to support education in geophysics* in Canadian universities;
- Commemorating the achievements of the current generation of Canadian geophysicists whose contributions include many technological advances and resource discoveries; and
- Educating the public (especially high school students) about the role of geophysics and related career opportunities.
The Foundation also actively supports geophysical education to supplement limited course offerings by universities via sponsoring relevant mini-symposia and instituting the KEGS Special Lecture program, which in 2018 arranged talks by leading industry geophysicists at six universities and related events.
Thanks to the recent extraordinary legacy gift from Len and Genice Collett received in late 2017, the Foundation has expanded its core scholarship program to include a special graduate scholarship recognizing important innovative research, as well as a distinguished visiting lectureship and a research fellowship, as announced in 2018, and requests for expressions of interest for the latter two appointments will be circulated at appropriate intervals.
The KEGS Foundation is guided by nine volunteer Directors, consisting of eight senior geophysicists, plus the KEGS Past President. The Foundation is also advised by a distinguished panel of fifteen geophysicists from diverse organizations and regions across Canada who serve as Counselors, ensuring that the Foundation obtains input from the various sectors and interested parties, and in turn effectively communicates its scholarship program and other educational activities to universities, students, geophysical service companies and resource corporations across Canada.
