Director at Large - Geothermal Canada
Geothermal Expert - Sproule

After completing undergraduate degrees in Geophysics and Physics at the University of Alberta, Gord began his career working in the geotechnical and environmental consulting industry as a near-surface geophysicist. In this role, he has completed geophysical project assignments across Western Canada in support of the environmental reclamation, pipeline, hydrogeology, geohazard, arctic engineering, and construction sectors.
In 2021, he began pursuing an MSc degree in Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV) at the University of Calgary with a capstone research project focused on mapping the economic potential of geothermal projects across Alberta. Gord is interested in the interdisciplinary aspects of geothermal energy and getting involved in work where society’s energy needs intersect with sectors that are fundamental to our standard of living (housing, agriculture, transportation, etc.). He has an interest in exploring the viability of geothermal energy in Canada and applying his near-surface geoscience background towards direct-use heating & cooling applications.
Gord is a registered Professional Geoscientist with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and a member of the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (CSEG).

Director for Western Canada (AB & SK) - Geothermal Canada
C.E.O. - DEEP Earth Energy Production

Kirsten Marcia is the founder, President, and CEO of DEEP – a Saskatchewan geothermal power generation company. Kirsten is a Professional Geoscientist who earned a B.Sc. in geology from the University of Saskatchewan. Kirsten’s 25 year career in the exploration industry has included diamonds, gold, uranium and oil and gas, and now geothermal – spearheading a new renewable energy industry for Canada.
Kirsten is leading a team developing one of Canada’s first geothermal power facilities. Leveraging innovations from the oil and gas sector, DEEP will harvest heat from the Williston basin to create clean, renewable baseload power and sell into the Saskatchewan grid. Construction is expected to commence in 2024. DEEP was named the Exceptional Engineering/Geoscience Project Award Winner of 2022 by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS).

Director for Central Canada (MT & ON) - Geothermal Canada
Engineering Professor - University of Waterloo
Professional Engineer in Ontario
Chartered Engineer and Professional Engineer in India

Dr. Dipanjan Basu is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo (UW). He is a Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario in Canada, and a Chartered Engineer and Professional Engineer in India. He has delivered several keynotes and invited lectures in the U.S.A., Canada, South Africa, Argentina, India, China, and Kazakhstan. He has won multiple awards in the U.S.A., U.K., and India. He hails from Kolkata, India, and has lived in India, U.S.A., and Canada.

Professor Basu is a geotechnical engineer with diverse interest in mechanics, mathematics, numerical methods, renewable energy, and sustainability. He teaches courses on Geotechnical Engineering and Numerical Analysis. Professor Basu’s current research focus is on Geothermal Energy, Soil Structure Interaction, Life Cycle Assessment, and Pile Foundations. “From fundamentals to applications”  he likes developing theories based on the principles of physics and mechanics, and finally produces results that are useful in practice. He has over 150 publications with more than 60 refereed articles in reputed journals.

Director for Eastern Canada (QC) - Geothermal Canada
Postdoctoral Fellow - INRS

Mafalda is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at INRS working under the supervision of Jasmin Raymond. Mafalda has a bachelor’s degree in Geology and a Master of Sciences in Geosciences from the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Her Master thesis was supported by the EMSURE – Energy and Mobility for Sustainable Regions project and aimed at characterizing the thermophysical properties of granitic rocks with the goal of evaluating the deep geothermal energy potential of target areas in central northern Portugal. In 2021, Mafalda obtained a PhD in Earth Sciences at INRS. The PhD thesis of Mafalda was supported by the INQ research chair to assess the geothermal energy potential of northern Quebec and outlines an approach to carry out first-order evaluation of the deep geothermal energy source using geothermal exploration tools that are affordable to the northern and remote communities facing critical energy issues and with important geothermal data gaps. During her PhD, Mafalda participated in several scientific communication contests receiving several awards. Among them, Mafalda was one of the finalists of the 2nd edition of the My Northern Project organized by INQ. She also got 3rd place in the student contest “3 minutes to change the world” organized by AQPER and TEQ and 2nd place in the “energy research challenge” organized by Québec Mines + Énergie. Mafalda won in 2020 the institutional final of the “3 Minute Thesis” giving her the chance to participate in the regional 3MT final organized by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools. In 2022, Mafalda received the INRS International Outreach Award and the Geothermal Canada Early Career Award.

Director for Atlantic Canada (Maritimes) - Geothermal Canada
Professor of Petroleum Geoscience - Dalhousie University

Professor Grant Wach began his career advising worldwide for multinational companies in the energy sector and is now Professor of Geoscience at Dalhousie University. His research includes energy sustainability, geothermal energy, and carbon storage; his research goal is to understand the reservoir component of petroleum, CCUS and geothermal systems; part of the path to Carbon Neutrality, and the steps towards the Energy Transition/ Diversification the World is now undergoing.
Professor Wach is an expert advisor to the Energy Sustainability Committee of the UNECE and the team released their technology brief on CCUS. He has advised the Nova Scotia government on Carbon Storage and Sequestration. Professor Wach co-led the EAGE Workshop on Geothermal in Latin America, with follow-on courses to the EAGE worldwide on Geothermal and CCS in 2022.
Professor Wach studied at Western University (Hons. B.A. Geog.); University of South Carolina (M.Sc. Geology) and the University of Oxford (D.Phil. Geology). He was the first recipient of the AAPG Foundation Professor of the Year Award, awarded the prestigious Darcy McGee Beacon Fellowship, and was the recipient of the CSPG Stanley Slipper Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to exploration and development, teaching, and mentorship.

Director for Northern Canada (YK, NWT, & Nunavut) - Geothermal Canada
Manager of Energy Geosciences at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey (NTGS), Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT)

Dr. Viktor Terlaky started his career at the NTGS in 2016 as Senior Energy Geologist and moved into the Manager of Energy Geoscience position in 2021. During his tenure at the NTGS, Dr. Terlaky has worked on various energy geoscience projects, including unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir characterization in the Central Makenzie Valley and geothermal reservoir characterization in the Liard Basin.
Dr. Terlaky is an Associate Editor for the journal Bulletin of Canadian Energy Geoscience published by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, member of the Management Board of the NWT Environmental Studies Research Fund, and member of the Steering Committee for the Atlas 2027 project (successor to the Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin).
Dr. Terlaky has a doctorate in Geology from the University of Ottawa. His thesis work focused on the deep-marine turbidite systems of the Windermere Supergroup, BC, Canada. He also completed a MSc in Geology and BSc with Honours in Earth and Environmental Science at McMaster University. Dr. Terlaky’s scientific interests include siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy.

Student Engagement Director - Geothermal Canada
PhD Candidate - INRS

Fiona is a PhD candidate who holds a BSc in Environment with a minor in Geology from McGill University (2019) and completed her MSc in Earth Sciences at McMaster University. In 2021, she joined Jasmin Raymond’s Geothermal team at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, centre Eau Terre Environment.
Currently, Fiona's primary research objective revolves around evaluating the geothermal potential around Lhu’aan Man (Kluane Lake) in southwestern Yukon. This project is in partnership with the Yukon Geological Survey and Kluane First Nation. Fiona is using a combination of fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and modelling to estimate the geothermal potential. This research will provide fundamental knowledge for Kluane First Nations to make informed decisions about further geothermal energy exploration and development on their traditional territory.