Simon Pattison

Biography

Dr. Simon A.J. Pattison completed his undergraduate geology degree at Brandon University in 1985. He then went on to McMaster University, where he finished his M.Sc. (1987) and Ph.D. (1991) degrees in Geology. Following grad school, Simon was hired as an Exploration Geologist by Imperial Oil Resources Limited in Calgary where he worked until late 1992 before being recruited into a two-year, Shell International-sponsored Senior Research Fellowship based at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. This fellowship not only paved the way for Dr. Pattison’s introduction to the Cretaceous Book Cliffs strata of Utah and Colorado, but also lead to Simon being hired as an Expatriate Geologist within the Shell International Group of Companies. Dr. Pattison worked as a Production/Reservoir Geologist in The Netherlands (1995), and was later transferred to Nigeria to work as a Senior Production Geologist (1996-1998). In December 1998, Simon returned to his hometown of Brandon and joined the Department of Geology as an Assistant Professor. He was awarded Tenure in December 2000, promoted to Associate Professor in January 2002, and promoted to Full Professor in March 2009. Simon has been acknowledged for excellence in both teaching and research at BU. He was awarded the Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 2001, the Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004, and the Senate Award for Excellence in Research in 2009.

Research Interest

Dr. Simon A.J. Pattison specializes in reconstructing ancient environments, especially those from the Cretaceous of western North America. This naturally occurring “greenhouse” period was a time when the dinosaurs reigned supreme, the western interior of North America was flooded with sea water, and global sea level was approximately 200 m higher than what it is today. Dr. Pattison studies sedimentary rocks in order to unravel the physical and biological characteristics of ancient depositional environments. This work leads to a better understanding of environmental change through time, including sea level change and climate change.