Inaugural Shklanka Chair in Precambrian Critical Mineral Systems appointed at USask

Dr. Camille Partin (PhD) has been appointed the first Shklanka Chair in Precambrian Critical Mineral Systems at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

Partin, an associate professor in the USask College of Arts and Science, will hold the chair for a five-year term in the Department of Geological Sciences, where she has been a faculty member since 2014.

“My research program is fundamentally steeped in Precambrian geology and its mineral systems. The creation of the chair is incredibly timely to fit with societal goals of transitioning to a lower carbon economy. Equally important is uplifting the role that Canada and particularly Saskatchewan can play in that transition by equipping the next generation of geoscientists with essential skills to deeply understand critical mineral systems,” said Partin, who holds a PhD in geological sciences from the University of Manitoba.

The purpose of the Shklanka Chair is to enhance the work of an outstanding scholar whose research explores fundamental and applied aspects of critical mineral systems including metallogeny (ore-forming processes) and mineralogy (mineral-metal associations). The work of the chair is intended to integrate with other areas of specialization within the Department of Geological Sciences that range across the entire lifecycle of critical mineral systems.

Partin is an internationally recognized expert in the chemical evolution of the oceans and atmosphere, the tectonic evolution of the Precambrian Shield of Canada and Greenland, and the metallogeny of Precambrian rocks. She combines leading-edge mineralogical, analytical geochemical and geochronological techniques as well as fundamental field geology methods to address multifaceted problems in Precambrian geology.    

“This chair comes at a particularly transformative time for us,” said Dr. Jim Lee (PhD), head of the Department of Geological Sciences. “Critical minerals are becoming a priority area for Saskatchewan, Canada, and indeed, many countries around the world, and the creation of the Shklanka Chair has helped to position us as one of the top Earth science departments in critical minerals research in Canada—research which will play a crucial role in advancing the economy of the province and the country.”

The Shklanka Chair in Precambrian Critical Mineral Systems was established in March 2024 through a generous gift from USask alumni Dr. Roman Shklanka (BA’51, BComm’53, MA’57, PhD) and Patricia Shklanka (BSc’58). Roman’s career as a geologist and mineral explorationist in the international mining industry spanned 45 years, and he is an inductee of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.

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