Golder is pleased to announce that Ms. Neeltje Slingerland is the 2017 recipient of the Golder Associates Mine Closure Graduate Scholarship.
Neeltje is pursuing her doctorate in Geoenvironmental Engineering at the University of Alberta and is studying “Landscape architecture and engineering design for mined earth structures and reclamation”. She is a registered landscape architect who consulted primarily in Toronto prior to starting her Ph.D. in geo-environmental engineering at the University of Alberta. Under the supervision of Dr. Ward Wilson and Dr. Nick Beier, her research studies considerations for ease of closure and long-term geomorphic stability of tailings ponds in the Athabasca oil sands.
Since moving to Alberta, Neeltje has designed closure landforms for the oil sands mining industry and has maintained a steady schedule of speaking engagements. She has taught courses in terrain analysis, topographic design, and integrated mine planning at universities across Canada and in Latin America.
Neeltje describes the practice of large-scale landform design as the most elegant interlacing of landscape architecture and engineering that she’s had the privilege to be a part of – thus far.
Neeltje completed a B.Sc. at the University of Waterloo (2005) focusing on the earth sciences, and a Masters of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph (2009). Her Masters thesis research combined these two interests and sought to determine the feasibility of recreating native cerrado habitat (post-closure) on land occupied by a gold mine in Paracatu, Brazil.
The Golder Associates Mine Closure Scholarship has a value of $10,000 CAD and is awarded annually at the University of Alberta to a graduate student working within the field of mine closure. It is administered by the University of Alberta, and funded by the proceeds from the 2011 International Conference on Mine Closure that was hosted in Alberta by Golder.
Congratulations Neeltje on this well-deserved recognition of your efforts!
For additional information, please contact:
Golder Associates Ltd.
Tina Marano, North American Marketing Leader
Tel: +1 (905) 567-6100 x2556
Email: Tina_Marano@golder.com
