KEY ITEMS:

• The Directors express their deep sadness at the recent unexpected passing of Dr. Yves Lamontagne, President of Lamontagne Geophysics, an important innovator in ground EM and BHEM instrumentation and applications that enabled (inter alia) discovery of multiple deep Ni-Cu deposits in the Sudbury camp. Yves was also a founding Director of the KEGS Foundation and a very generous sustaining supporter. Various tributes and memorials are in preparation or being actively considered by former colleagues. They will begin with a talk on UTEM and its history by Bruce McMonnies of Lamontagne Geophysics at Queen's University, on February 8 at 2:30 pm in Miller Hall, which will also be livestreamed.
• Scholarship award presentations continued in January, with four awards presented at Western University by Rob Hearst on Jan 17 together with a KF Special Lecture.
• The final presentation of the remaining six 2022-23 scholarships will occur at Queen's University by Bruce McMonnies on Feb 8 at 2:30pm in Miller Hall.
• Renewal of the scholarship program for 2023-24 has been informally announced, with at least 20 scholarship awards anticipated. Updated application forms will be ready shortly and posted at the KEGS Foundation website.
• Thanks to a major gift, the Foundation is in the process of establishing several new geophysical scholarships directed at fostering advances in geophysical methods and their utilization for environmental, hydrogeological, geo-engineering and humanitarian applications. Details to be provided in a subsequent announcement at the PDAC.
• Directors have enjoyed various opportunities to meeting current and past awardees and supporters at revived in-person meetings, most recently at the very busy AME RoundUp and the related BCGS Breakfast.
• The KEGS Foundation looks forward to welcoming the geophysical community at the annual PDAC Reunion Party at Grace O'Malley's on Saturday, March 4 following the KEGS Symposium. Details will be circulated shortly.
• To help fund next year's scholarship awards, additional donations are encouraged. Individual donors are reminded that their donations (up to $250) can be doubled thanks to matching programs generously supported by Phoenix Geophysics, Discovery International and Dias Geophysics.
• Governance: The annual BOD and Counselors meeting, and AGM, are being organized

Details:

• Remaining scholarship awards for the current year will be presented at:

• Western University: January 17, four awards, with Rob Hearst as the volunteer presenter. (Natalia Gomez Jaramillo, M.Sc. candidate and the recipient of the GSC Pioneers Scholarship was recognized at the KEGS-Ottawa event on December 19.)
• Queen's University: February 8, six awards including the KEGS Pioneers Scholarship awarded to Eric deKemp (second year undergraduate), the WAMIC Scholarship to Grace Faraj (third year undergraduate) and the CGG Scholarship to Neeraj Nainwal (Ph.D. candidate) in conjunction with the KF Special Lecture by Bruce McMonnies of Lamontagne Geophysics.

The full details of undergraduate and graduate awards are available at these links:
KEGS Foundation Undergraduate Awards Announcement 2022
KEGS Foundation Graduate Awards Announcement 2022

• Renewal of scholarship program for 2023/24: The Foundation has announced informally the renewal of its core scholarship program for the forthcoming academic year, with at least 20 scholarships anticipated. Formal announcement to be circulated shortly.

• New environmental geophysical scholarships to be established: As previously announced, thanks to a very generous gift, the Directors are very pleased to announce the launching of a new scholarship endowment focused on advancing geophysical methods and applications for environmental, hydrogeological and geo-engineering objectives. Full details will be provided shortly and at the Reunion Party.

• Participation in revived in-person meetings and events: Various Foundation Directors have enjoyed meeting many of the current and recent scholarship recipients as well as donors and other supporters, notably this month at the well-attended and busy AME RoundUp in Vancouver, January 23-26, including the BCGS Geophysical Breakfast on January 24, and are looking forward to further opportunities at the PDAC Convention in Toronto, March 5-8 plus the March 4 KEGS Symposium. The Foundation has nearly $10,000 allocated to help subsidize awardee travel. The Foundation is also in the process of organizing a renewal of its PDAC Reunion Party at Grace O'Malley's following the KEGS Symposium on March 4.

• Governance: As noted last month, the Foundation's Board of Directors has welcomed Dr. Richard Smith of Laurentian as a new Director, noting his current important academic role, and Kanita Khaled, the KEGS Past-President, as the new KEGS representative on the Board. The main BOD meeting with invited Counselors is tentatively scheduled for Sunday AM March 5, with the AGM likely in April in conjunction with the subsequent regular KEGS meeting.

• Renewal education initiatives are being discussed to increase general awareness of geophysics and the Foundation's geophysical scholarship program at various universities and colleges via visiting lecturers and ambassadors.
  

• Donations: Charitable tax receipts for donations in 2022 are being prepared and will be distributed shortly. Additional donations are encouraged to support the scholarship program to help renew our vital profession. Donors are reminded of the continuing matching donation programs for individuals generously supported by Phoenix Geophysics, Discovery International and Dias Geophysical.

With best wishes to all for a healthy and productive 2023,

S. Reford/J. Roth