Originally from Ottawa, Canada, I completed my B.Sc. Honours in Geology at the University of Ottawa. I then moved to Vancouver, B.C. to pursue a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at the University of British Columbia, where I researched the genesis of gem spinel, sapphire, and lapis lazuli in metacarbonate rocks in southern Baffin Island (Canadian Arctic). Wherever I find myself, I take every opportunity to explore for gemstone occurrences, and this extensive field experience has strongly influenced the direction of my research program today.

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.