Such is the case for Alain Mauviel who became a Teaching and Research Technician in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences following his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Ottawa.
Alain spent nearly a decade studying Earth Sciences at uOttawa before starting his current position. During his time as a student, he became well acquainted with many professors and staff. Notably, he undertook his master’s research under the supervision of Professor André Desrochers. Alain graduated in 2016 after the successful completion of his thesis entitled “Integrated High-Resolution Chemostratigraphic and Cyclostratigraphic Analysis of the Paleotropical Carbonates Spanning the Ordovician-Silurian Boundary at the West End of Anticosti Island, Eastern Canada”. Prof. Desrochers has nothing but praise for Alain’s work. He said: “Alain is truly a gem for the department and his contribution to the geosciences is extraordinary for master’s work. Alain is the first author on two peer-reviewed scientific papers (Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences; Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology) and a co-author on a recently accepted paper in Geology, with an international team of researchers.”
In his current role, Alain Mauviel oversees the activities of many teaching and research labs, including a rock crushing/cutting sample preparation lab, a microscopy/petrography lab, and most importantly, a thin section lab where he crafts thinly sliced rock samples (30 microns thick). Researchers use thin sections to analyze microstructures, textures, fluid inclusions and compositions of various rock and soil materials. These thin sections reveal valuable information that is useful for many disciplines within Earth and environmental sciences (e.g., mineral and oil exploration, and environmental assessments).
Alain attributes his success in this role to George Mrazek, a previous technician who employed him and taught him the skills of the trade - everything about sample preparation, specifically making thin sections for analysis. During his time as a student at the University of Ottawa, Alain learned the importance of making an active effort to get to know others in his field, as they may offer unexpected opportunities. Like him, you might find a job you had never considered before and may end up loving it!
Read More:
- Precession-driven climate cycles and time scale prior to the Hirnantian glacial maximum
- The stratigraphic and geochemical imprints of Late Ordovician glaciation on far-field neritic carbonates, Anticosti Island, eastern Canada
- A high-resolution, continuous δ13C record spanning the Ordovician–Silurian boundary on Anticosti Island, eastern Canada
