Board of Directors
Past President: Imad Alainachi, Ph.D., P.Geo., P.Eng
Dr. Imad Alainachi is a Technical Director with Englobe Corp., and a Part-Time Professor at the University of Ottawa. Prior to this, he worked as a geologist and geotechnical specialist at different levels with several consulting firms in Canada and the Middle East. He completed a BSc (Geology) and MSc (Engineering Geology) at the University of Basra, Iraq, and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He has over 23 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, site and laboratory testing, and supervision. Projects have included transmission lines, light train lines and stations, high-rise/low-rise residential/commercial buildings, and rehabilitation/revitalization of heritage buildings. Areas of expertise include geotechnical investigation, material inspection and testing, soil and rock mechanics, design of shallow and deep foundations, cut-off and retaining walls, slope stability and slope stabilization analysis, numerical and physical modeling, geological and geotechnical hazards, ground improvement, mine waste management, blasting geotechnical engineering, and geotechnical earthquake engineering.
Dr. Alainachi is a member of the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), serving as CGS representative in the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) (2020-2023), a member of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), a corresponding member of the Board of the Young Members Presidential Group (YMPG). He served as the student representative (2017-2020), an executive member (2020-2021), Vice-Chair (2021-2023), and the current Chair of the Ottawa Geotechnical Group (OGG). He also served as a reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals, a member of the Review Committee of the University of Ottawa Civil Engineering Program, and a member of the accreditation committee of the University of Ottawa. The Ph.D. thesis of Dr. Alainachi was nominated for the prize of the best Ph.D. Thesis at the University of Ottawa, 2020.
President: Russell N. Pysklywec, Ph.D.
Russell Pysklywec is a Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto. He leads a research group in global geophysics that studies plate tectonics and the dynamics of the Earth’s interior. The research spans the globe and across geological time, exploring: contemporary break-up of the Pacific plate; tectonics of Canada’s high arctic; active continental mountain building and volcanism in New Zealand; lithospheric delamination beneath Eastern Anatolia; and mantle-crust interactions on Io. He holds the Gordon Stollery Chair in Basin Analysis at the University of Toronto and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. The NPI also has extensive leadership experience in research geosciences, having been Chair of the Department of Geology/Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto for 10 years and serving as Chair of the Council of Chairs of Earth Science Departments in Canada--guiding national-level initiatives on geoscience research and education.
Secretary: Lilian Navarro, Ph.D.
Dr. Lilian Navarro is currently working as a Lab Instructor at Cape Breton University, wherein she is introducing geological subjects through lab exercises to numerous Canadian and international students enrolled in the engineering, petroleum technology, education, and public health programs, who in many cases are attending a geology course for the first time. She completed her B.Sc. in Geological Engineering at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, and subsequently she finished M.Sc., Ph.D., and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She has conducted extensive geological fieldwork in the world-class exposures of deep-marine siliciclastic- and mixed (siliciclastic-carbonate)- dominated systems of the late Neoproterozoic Windermere Supergroup in the Cariboo Mountains, South-eastern Canadian Cordillera. Her research interests include sedimentological characterization, stratigraphic architecture and evolution of deep-water systems and Ediacaran phosphatic-rich deposits. She is one of the Co-chairs of the SEPM Deep-water Research Group, a co-host of the SedsOnline Coffee Break – Americas Section, and is an active leader in the GeoLatinas ’s initiatives (Education & Outreach, and GeoLatinas por Latin America and Venezuela). She is a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and Atlantic Geoscience Society (AGS).
President-elect: Nadia Haider
Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Innovation & Environment at Conuma Resources. Nadia brings a breadth of experience in the mining and energy sectors. This includes nearly ten years in regulatory practice where Nadia was involved in the entire life cycle of mining, oil and gas developments, operations, and reclamation. Before commencing her regulatory journey, Nadia worked on international coal projects, and exploration projects for Xstrata Nickel and De Beers Canada. Her experiences (along with her passion) also include people leadership, project management, and leading efficiency initiatives for the energy sector. Nadia is a graduate of the University of Toronto and holds degrees in Earth Sciences/Geology and Communications and Information Technology.
Finance Director: Mitch Maracle
Coastal geologist with the Department of Natural Resources, Nova Scotia Geological Survey. Recent Acadia University Honours Geology graduate. Recipient of the 2022 GAC-PDAC Student Award, NSERC CGS-M Grant, PDAC Student Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop and CSPG Student Industry Field Trip. Completed his Honours Thesis under Dr. Morgan Snyder and developed an automatic sinkhole delineation model to locate and predict sinkholes using Nova Scotia provincial LiDAR data utilizing ArcGIS and 'ModelBuilder'. Completing MSc. in Geology at Acadia University with Dr. Spooner to further understand the complex soil geochemistry of typical Appalachian valley geomorphological formations in relation to viticulture propagation in Nova Scotia. Previously worked for Big River Mineral Exploration Inc. a mineral exploration placement company, located in the Yukon Territory. Working in primarily fly-in exploration camps experienced in soil sampling, staking, drill hand, and sluice box assistant experience. Organizing committee member for IGC 2028.
Communications Director: Fiona D'Arcy, PhD
Hi, I'm Fiona (she/her/elle), a settler in Ottawa on Anishinaabe Algonquin lands which I'm lucky to share with the people, plants, rocks, and animals living around the rideau river. I love nature and that's what drew me to study earth science.
I hail from Toronto, Ontario where I was lucky to attend the Ontario Science Centre Science School and learned how to share my scientific curiosity with others. I completed my BSc with honours specialization in Geology and minor in Physics at the University of Ottawa in 2015, and my MSc and PhD in Earth Sciences at McGill University in 2018 and 2025, respectively. In my PhD, I examined the isotope geochemistry of gases, trees, and minerals in order to forecast magmatic changes at highly dynamic volcanoes and gauge their effect on the environment. I used a variety of instrumentation in the field and in the lab to follow the life cycle of gases from their deep roots in the very minerals grown in a volcano to their far-reaching impact on the surrounding vegetation.
I have a keen interest in science communication and outreach, having been involved in public outreach events at four museums in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal in addition to teaching an introductory minerals course at the university level.
Outreach Director: Joanna Hodge, PhD, P.Geo
Dr. Joanna Hodge is a mineral explorationist and geoscience educator. She is a professor of geology and Geological Technician program coordinator at Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences. Prior to taking up teaching she spent 15 years working in mineral exploration in New Zealand, Australia, British Columbia, and Yukon in a diverse range of deposit types and project stages.
Joanna grew up in New Zealand on the flanks of an active volcano, which inspired her to pursue a career in geology. She completed her BSc and MSc degrees in Geology at the University of Auckland and her PhD at the University of Western Australia. In her current role Joanna mentors students as they move into geoscience careers and is an active advocate for women in geoscience. In 2019 she hosted the inaugural Women in Rocks conference at Fleming College, highlighting geoscience careers to women and girls, and cohosted the 2023 Women in Natural Resources event at Fleming. She also works to support accessible geoscience education, particularly in accessible fieldwork. Joanna is currently completing a certificate in science communication and is passionate about sharing with the public the wonders of geology and the essential contributions of
geoscience to society.
International Director: Katherine Boggs, Ph.D.
Katherine is passionate about the geosciences because she is fascinated by the processes that form the “Earth beneath our feet”. She has been a geology professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary since 2003 and was part of the team that lead the transition from a two-year university transfer to a four-year BSc Geology Major Program. Her PhD was completed at the University of Calgary constraining the offset
and timing of displacement along the Purcell Thrust Fault that cuts across the Rocky Mountain Trench in southern BC. Katherine did her MSc at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi determining the P-T-t trajectories for a granulite dome in the Grenville Province. She completed her BSc (Honurs in Biology-Geology) at Carleton University in Ottawa. While trained as a field based metamorphic petrologist through graduate school, Katherine has found herself promoting EON-ROSE as the next mega-
geosciences project in Canada. She is also the Director for the Community Science Liaison program embeds place- and curriculum-based citizen science projects in Canadian K-12 classrooms. Teachers appreciate these projects because they bring the real world into their classrooms, students feel empowered because they feel as though they are contributing towards understanding their backyards and scientists get rejuvenated about their disciplines through these student’s enthusiasm for understanding their “backyard laboratories”.
Special Projects Director: held open for appropriate special project.
External Engagement Director: Tom Sneddon
Tom retired recently as Director of Geoscience for APEGA. He has broad geoscience experience, with over 30 years practicing experimental watershed research, hydrology, hydrogeology, environmental geology, oil and gas prospect development, drilling programs, and extensive field work in minerals exploration and development – in both government and industry. Using this diverse background, he applied it to the promotion of professionalism within the geosciences, through his role at APEGA. He is currently Editor for the CSPG Reservoir and President of Marmot Research Inc. in Calgary and continues to volunteer with APEGA. He is a Professional Geologist and a Member of both APEGA and EGBC.