Sabastien C. Dyer
Sabastien C. Dyer

Education

PhD in Geology at the University of Waterloo

CGPA: 4.0/4.0

I started this degree in September 2020, and expect to complete it 4 to 5 years from then.

It is a research focused program with a research project in metamorphic petrology. The focus of the project is on deep crustal fluid flow in the Grenville Province (More info coming soon!).

Master of Science at Carleton University

CGPA: 11.6/12.0

Degree received November, 2020

This was a thesis based Master’s degree in geology. This involved a research project in metamorphic petrology and taking courses related to this subject. For more details on my MSc thesis click here.

Bachelor of Science with Honors at the University of Toronto

CGPa: 3.86/4.0

Degree received June, 2018

Specialist in Geology involved all required courses to fulfill APGO requirements, including but not limited to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Introductory and Advanced Field School, Sedimentology, and Hydrogeology.

Minor in Geographic Information Systems involved three semester long courses in GIS, several geography courses and a course in building web maps using HTML and Javascript

Honor’s Thesis: PGEs in melt inclusions of volcanic rocks from the Southwest Pacific, supervised by Zajacz, Z

Work Experience

Teaching Assistant at the University of Waterloo

(January 2021 - Present)

Teaching Assistant for the following courses: Mineralogy (2nd year course), Petrography (2nd year course), Metamorphic Petrology (3rd year course), Methods in Geological Mapping (3rd year course)

Responsibilities include:

  • Helping to run tutorials and assist students

  • Monitoring discussion boards

  • Grading labs and assignments

  • Helping to run field school and other field trips

Research Assistant at the University of Waterloo

(September 2020 - present)

I am currently doing research in metamorphic petrology, specifically studying deep crustal fluid flow in the Grenville Province. This work includes field work, thermodynamic modelling, petrography, and a variety of analytical techniques

Sessional Instructor at the University of Waterloo

(January 2023 - April 2023)

Taught the third year metamorphic petrology course at the University of Waterloo. This involved planning lectures, assignments, and tests and administering that class material.

Research Assistant at Carleton University

(September 2018 - AUGust 2020)

During this time I was researching the metamorphic history of Boundary Ranges and Florence Range metamorphic suites near Atlin, BC. This involved using the modelling software Theriak-Domino along with petrographic observations to model metamorphic pressure-temperature-time paths in metapelites. I also modelled garnet growth using data gathered from X-ray micro-computed tomography and electron microprobe. For more details on what this work is all about click here.

Teaching Assistant at Carleton University

(September 2018 - May 2020)

Teaching Assistant for the following courses: Metamorphic Petrology (3rd year course), Ore deposits (3rd year course), Natural Hazards (4th Year/Graduate level course), Environmental Science Field Methods (2nd year field course)

Responsibilities include:

  • Assisting in running labs involving petrography, helping students develop their skills in petrographic description and interpretation

  • Showing students how to do bedrock mapping in the field

  • Grading labs and assignments

  • Proctoring exams

Field Assistant with the Geologic Survey of Canada

(July 2018 - August 2018)

I assisted my manager in collecting rock samples and making field observations for my Master’s thesis and his postdoctoral work. This involved daily set outs as well as multi-day fly-camps in remote areas and adverse conditions.

Responsibilities included:

  • Taking oriented and geo-referenced samples for later lab work

  • Taking structural measurements

  • Taking notes on geological features of interest, including mineralogy

Research Assistant at the University of Toronto

(May 2015 - August 2017)

I worked primarily in experimental igneous petrology, running experiments under high temperature and pressure condition with a range of equipment including: piston-cylinder, gas-mixing furnace, and a high-temperature drop-down furnace. I would then analyze the samples using SEM, electron microprobe, or LA-ICPMS. I would then analyze the data using excel, python, or Matlab.

This work also involved other tasks including working as a field assistant for a couple of three day outings and improving on geochemical models in matlab.

Research Assistant at Sunnybrook Hospital

(July-Aug 2013/2014)

Worked in the focused ultrasound lab programming micro-controllers and other devices to improve ease of measurement and testing of ultrasound devices. This work involved writing code for PIC microcontrollers in C, computer GUIs in C++ and C#, and a GUI on a network analyzer in VBA.

Publications and Awards

Publications

Soucy La Roche R., Dyer S.C., Zagorevski A., Cottle J.M., and Gaidies F. “150 Myr of Episodic Metamorphism Recorded in the YukonTanana Terrane, Northern Canadian Cordillera: Evidence from Monazite and Xenotime Petrochronology” Lithosphere, 2022, DOI: https://doi-org.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/10.2113/2022/7708357

Brown J. L., Dyer S.C., Mungall J.E., Ellis D.J., and Christy A.G. "High Pressure Cu-Fe-S Phase Equilibria: Some experimental and thermodynamic constraints on sulfides in subduction zones and the lithospheric mantle" Journal of Petrology, March 2020, DOI: 10.1093/petrology/egaa043

Conference Presentations and Posters

Dyer S. C.*, Yakymchuk C. “Fluid-fluxed melting occurs on a regional scale in the Grenville Province” GSA 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Oct 15-18, 2023

Dyer S. C.*, Yakymchuk C. “How it’s made: An in-situ study of zircon-forming reactions in subsolidus  metamorphic systems” Goldschmidt 2023, Lyon, France, July 9-14, 2023

Dyer S. C.*, Yakymchuk C. “Most trace elements in metamorphic zircon are representative of equilibrium conditions” GAC-MAC 2022, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 15-18, 2022

Soucy La Roche R.*, Dyer S.C., Zagorevski A., Cottle J.M. ,Gaidies F. “Monazite, xenotime and Al2SiO5polymorphs, the perfect team to characterize polymetamorphism” Metamorphic Studies Group 40th anniversery Research in Progress meeting, Online conference, March 29-31, 2021

Dyer S.C.*, Soucy La Roche R., Gaidies F., Cutts J., Petts D., Zagorevski A. “A new inverse garnet fractionation modelling technique and applications to the Yukon-Tanana terrane of north-western British Columbia” GSA 2020 Connects Online, October 26-30, 2020 (MSc work, recorded presentation at an online international conference)

Soucy La Roche R.*, Dyer S.C., Cottle J., Zagorevski A., and Gaidies F. “Monazite and xenotime laser ablation split stream petrochronology, a proposed method to decipher the complex metamorphic evolution of the Yukon-Tanana Terrane, Northern Canadian Cordillera” GSA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, September 22-25, 2019

Brown J. L.*, Dyer S.C., Mungall J.E., Ellis D.J., and Christy A.G. "High Pressure Cu-Fe-S Phase Equilibria: Some experimental and thermodynamic constraints on sulfides in subduction zones and the lithospheric mantle" Resources for Future Generations 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada June 16-18, 2018

Dyer S.C.* and Mungall J. E. "Experimental constraints on thermosolutal convection in the stratified Sudbury impact melt sheet" GAC-MAC 2017, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, May 14-18, 2017

Dyer S.C.* and Mungall J. E. "Experimental constraints on thermosolutal convection in the stratified Sudbury impact melt sheet" Penrose Conference on layered mafic intrusions, Red Lodge, Montana, USA, August 8-12, 2016

Awards

President’s Scholarship; Awarded by the University of Waterloo for 2021-2023 at a value of $5000/year

Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Awarded by OSAP and University of Waterloo for 2021-2023 at a value of $15000/year

Science Graduate Award; Awarded by University of Waterloo for 2020-2023 at a value of $4000/year

Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Awarded by OSAP and Carleton University for 2019-2020 at a value of $15000

NSERC-CGS-M; Awarded by Carleton University and NSERC for 2018-2019 at a value of $17500

Undergraduate Student Research Award; Awarded by NSERC for 2016-2017 at a value of $6000 per year

Dr. E.T. Tozer Scholarship In (Triassic) Stratigraphy and Palaeontology; Awarded by Mr. Paul Tozer & Ms. A. Sally J. Tozer for 2017 at a value of $2645.71

C..L. Burton Open Scholarship; Awarded by University College for 2017 at a value of $500

Louis Savlov (UC'37) Scholarships in Science, Social Sciences and Humanities; Awarded by University College for 2016 at a value of $250

University of Toronto Excellence Award; Awarded by the University of Toronto for 2015 at a value of $6000

 

Skills, Certifications and Activities

Skills

Can effectively use a range of analytical equipment including: Scanning electron microscope, electron microprobe, laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometer, and ultra-high resolution X-ray micro-computed tomography scanner

Experience with other analytical methods including: Neutron activation analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and ion chromotography

Can effectively prepare samples for, and use high-temperature and pressure experimental equipment including: piston-cylinders, gas-mixing furnaces, and high-temperature furnaces

Training in many geological techniques including: transmitted light and reflected light petrography, geological mapping, and core logging

Working knowledge in multiple programming languages including: Julia, Python, Java, FORTRAN, C, C++, C#, VBA, Matlab, Javascript, and HTML

Can design and interpret maps and geographic data using ArcGIS and QGIS

Experience with the use of LeapfrogGeo in ore deposit modelling

Can effectively build phase diagrams using Theriak-Domino

Experienced in displaying and analyzing data using python and excel

Certifications and Licenses

G class drivers license

Basic First Aid

Other Activities

Volunteer for Science Rendez-vous 2018

President of Society of Economic Geologists Student Chapter at U of T 2017-2018

Treasurer of Society of Economic Geologists Student Chapter at U of T 2016-2017

Student orientation leader 2015-2018