Behind the career: Geological Engineering

Being a geological engineer - Kate

Kate

Geologist and Geotechnical Engineer (EIT) at Teck Resources Limited 

"I get to play around outside quite a lot with my job and work with people of all different backgrounds...It is a pretty fulfilling job getting to work with a ton of great people!” 

As a Geological Engineer, Kate has been able and qualified to explore many different disciplines and industries within the field. While she has mostly done geotechnical roles throughout her career, she is currently taking on responsibilities as a short-ranged geologist for Teck Resources Limited, the company she did her capstone project on. From monitoring data and drill activity to identifying dangers and updating safety procedures, Kate is able to wear many different hats with her degree. “I have worked a couple of different schedules with geology and geotech work I have done within mining,” Kate explains about the ever-changing nature of her job.  

Teck Resources Limited

Turn ideas into impact banner

The exciting, dynamic nature of her career not only reflects in Kate’s workdays, but in the discipline itself. In fact, it was the flexibility and creativity of the field that helped Kate commit to pursuing it. When asked how she chose her specialization, Kate says it was meeting passionate people studying it that opened her eyes to the smaller, niche program. 

“[I met] a lot of people in the program who seemed really interested in what they were doing and really passionate about it [so] they painted a pretty interesting picture of the industry that it was.” 

From there, Kate researched more into the field and found it was the perfect fit for someone like her who craved something involving a bit more critical thinking and change. 

“There is more room for creativity and qualitative judgement within geological engineering than some of the more traditional, technical disciplines. Plus, there are also a lot of fun, outdoor opportunities and you get to work in lots of beautiful places every now and again.” 

Kate encourages anyone curious about the major to not shy away from its small size, but rather be open-minded and embrace its tight-knit, motivated community. 

UBC geological engineering student on a co-op placement at BC Research Inc.

Geological Engineering

UBC offers the Geological Engineering program in collaboration with the Faculty of Science, blending aspects of earth sciences, civil engineering and mining engineering with a fundamental understanding of the earth’s surface environments...

Geological Engineering

UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm people (Musqueam; which means 'People of the River Grass') and Syilx Okanagan Nation. The land has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam and Syilx peoples, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history and traditions from one generation to the next.

UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. E-commerce Cart A shopping cart. Time A clock. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Social Media The globe is the default icon for a social media platform. TikTok The logo for the TikTok social media platform. Calendar Location Home A house in silhouette. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Search A magnifying glass. Arrow indicating share action A directional arrow. Speech Bubble A speech bubble. Star An outline of a star. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. User A silhouette of a person. Vimeo The logo for the Vimeo video sharing service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service. Future of work A logo for the Future of Work category. Inclusive leadership A logo for the Inclusive leadership category. Planetary health A logo for the Planetary health category. Solutions for people A logo for the Solutions for people category. Thriving cities A logo for the Thriving cities category. University for future A logo for the University for future category.