Today’s guests are four women who make up an all-female geologist crew in Montana in the United States, in one of the world’s largest platinum mines. The mine they work in is part of a leading international precious metals mining company with a diverse portfolio of platinum group metal operations, known as PGM in the United States and Southern Africa, Gold Operations and Projects in South Africa, and Copper, Gold, and PGM Exploration Properties in North and South America. It is the world’s largest primary producer of platinum and rhodium, the second largest primary producer of palladium, and a top tier gold producer. The geologists on today’s episode are Jessica Scanlan, Rachel Toler, Alicia Randall, and Christa Loucks. All four are grade control geologists, which means they work underground everyday, directly with miners. Their job is to determine the grade of the rock they’re seeing, and determine whether it is ore or waste. In this episode, Christa shares a day in the life of a geologist working in a mine, and Rachel and Alicia explain what it’s like being a team of women working in a male-dominated industry. They all share their path to mining, where their interest in rocks comes from, and Rachel speaks about the difference between working in an open pit mine versus underground, while Jessica shares some advice for girls and young women looking to get into the mining industry: reach out and get as much advice, experience, and connections as possible. Rachel closes the show with the power of women supporting women, so make sure to tune in today to hear from this incredible crew!
Sn. 1, #20 Women in Geology: A Conversation with Jessica Scanlan, Christa Loucks, Alicia Randall, and Rachel Toler
Emily Soloby
Emily received her BA in Women’s Studies and JD from Temple University. Early on, she worked as a legal advocate for women in domestic violence cases. After practicing law, Emily began working on the business side of things. She is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a truck and heavy equipment safety training firm, which she has spent the last 10 years growing into a thriving national business through government and military contracting and corporate partnerships.
As an executive in the transportation industry, darting from client meeting to trucking range required safety boots that met her style standards, and when she couldn’t find them anywhere, she created Juno Jones Shoes. Emily trained in shoemaking in Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and assembled a powerhouse team of designers, consultants, and industry experts to bring Juno Jones to life. Through Juno Jones Shoes, Emily is fulfilling her dream of not only providing women with safe, stylish footwear options for their jobs but of helping to normalize and empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
For more information go to junojonesshoes.com.
