This text is part of the special section Higher education
From the Laurentians to the Himalayas, Professor Félix Gervais examines soils and minerals to better understand the evolution of mountain ranges. He shares his passion with students and spares no effort to train the next generation of specialists.
“I loved natural sciences and mathematics, but I also liked being outside,” says Félix Gervais. To combine the two, he chose Polytechnique, then moved on to research in fundamental geology at the master’s (INRS), doctorate (Carleton) and postdoctoral levels (McGill). Associate professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique since 2011, he is interested in the formation of mountain ranges, more particularly in the geological province of Grenville (in the Laurentians). “A billion years ago this mountain range was as high as the Himalayas. We find vestiges of it in Ontario and Quebec, and as far as New Mexico, ”he explains.
To decipher the tectonic evolution of this chain, the researcher has recourse to work in the field. By collecting samples and analyzing them in the laboratory, it dates minerals, determines their depth, the temperature at which they have been heated, etc. “I want to understand how it is that rocks buried 20, 30, 40 kilometers deep are now on the surface,” he says. He also made a short trip to the Himalayas, the archetypal mountain range, to compare it with the Grenville range.
Train students
Among the teacher’s tasks, teaching occupies an important place. “The teaching is fascinating — we help train the next generation,” he says. Polytechnique students are trained to be very efficient. The integrator courses aim to improve their ability to analyze problems. And this is the fun to see them when they get there. You can see it in their eyes, when it clicks! “
To help them make these links, the school offers the geological synthesis project for future geological engineers. This course prepares students in this sector to integrate the labor market in one of the many fields available to them: calculation of mineral reserves, construction of dams or bridges, soil decontamination, etc.
But the pandemic has shaken up plans. “Usually, we go to Ontario, to an eight-day field camp, to a really spectacular site,” says Mr. Gervais. Impossible to go there in 2020 as in 2021. Professor Gervais therefore sought an alternative solution to offer a concrete field project to the double cohort. He then turned to Mount Royal, relatively little studied from a geological point of view.
The professor acquired data so that the students could date and map Mount Royal. In a short period of time, students had to choose one of three areas (geochronology for dating, metamorphism for pressure and temperature of rocks, or geochemistry), analyze data and give an oral presentation. Subsequently, the students tested hypotheses to map sections of Mount Royal as a team, which had not been mapped since the 1970s. “The students had to manipulate real data, which is motivating. It gave a high-level project, ”says Mr. Gervais.
Motivated by his students
The professor was amazed by the outcome of this workshop: the team presentations and the subsequent mapping work were of high quality. “The students worked hard and put pressure on each other to make exceptional projects,” he emphasizes.
Seeing the passion and rigor of his students pushes the professor to constantly want to improve himself. “When we see achievements like the field this summer, it puts pressure to deliver the goods and develop better courses,” he says.
The use of technologies brought a level of collaboration essential for this project. “With my team, we were available every day on Teams, to help and interact with the students,” he explains. The teams also collaborated with each other by videoconference. “It made me wonder about how to supervise my graduate students,” adds Mr. Gervais, who is experimenting with this in order to implement a more collaborative approach.
The analyzes carried out by the students during the practical training will also inspire them for research projects. ” It’s interesting. We will have to take the data and reanalyze it, but I intend to do so and publish the results, ”says Gervais.