15. The Human Factor in Geoscience and Mining

Welcome to the second season of Discovery to Recovery! How can we use 'the human factor' to create better outcomes in mining and exploration? Nicole Doucette is host, bringing us two powerful, personal stories about navigating jobs and careers, in mining engineering and economic geology. The first is a conversation with Kal-Kidan, a mining engineering student in Australia, whose parents immigrated there from Ethiopia. The second conversation is with Pedro Maciel Garcia (Professor of Economic Geology, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Brazil and Fellow of SEG).The stories are wide-ranging, covering what is working and what could be better when companies and institutions address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. What impact is there on your career when you are a person of color in geoscience and mining? How are companies and other organizations being more inclusive? These honest conversations range from the personal to the role of geo-ethics in mining and academia. Navigating issues of identity are challenging, but perhaps we are all getting a little bit better at creating better environments that foster diversity through equity and inclusion.Theme music is Confluence by Eastwindseastwindsmusic.comCome join us in Salt Lake City, Utah for SEG 2026, September 30th to October 3rd. You can expect world-class technical content, including iconic ore deposits and the geological processes of North American Cordillera. The program balances applied case studies, framework geology, and technological innovation. The conference offers a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and help shape the future of economic geology. See you there.