Science, Technology and Engineering

Environmental Geoscience

Graduates

Dale McKenzie

Environmental Scientist and Hydrogeologist, Soil and Groundwater Consulting (S&G)

I finished my Bachelor of Environmental Science in 2006, focusing my study on chemistry, hydrology, hydrogeology, geochemistry and botany. After taking time off in early 2007, I returned to La Trobe as a lab assistant in the Environmental Geoscience department's TIMS (Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscopy) lab.

While still working for the TIMS lab, in mid-2007 I started my honours in Hydrology/Hydrogeology (under Dr John Webb), investigating salinity and surface-groundwater interactions in Cairn Curran Reservoir catchment in Central Victoria. In mid-2008, I completed my honours project in conjunction with work being done by Dr Jon Fawcett from the Department of Primary Industries in Bendigo.

Honours allowed me to take control of a project and make it my own. It allowed me to greatly improve my organisational and project management skills, as well as allowing me to take a project from start to finish, from establishing a background, study design, field and lab work, to interpreting and reporting results and recommending actions to be undertaken. All of which have been invaluable in my current position.

At the beginning of February 2008 (over 4 months before finishing honours) I was offered a position with Soil and Groundwater Consulting (S&G), as an Environmental Scientist and Hydrogeologist. S&G is a smaller firm based in SA that specialises in the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, who have just opened an office in Melbourne. Taking a position with an establishing Melbourne office has allowed me to be "thrown in the deep end". My work ranges from soil and groundwater sampling, to operation of remediation works, hydro-geological testing, project management and design, as well as the supervision of groundwater well construction, and soil excavation projects. As part of my work I get to travel all over! In only 6 months I have worked on projects in both rural and urban Vic, SA, NSW, and QLD, and dealt with many industries, including car manufacturing, service stations, chemical production, real estate development, and mining just to list projects I am involved with right now! I can't think of a job that would allow more diversity!