Dr. Phil Fralick
Dr. Phil Fralick studies early life - up to 3 billion years old.
"Billions of years ago, the Earth was a very different place," remarks the Lakehead geology professor. "The most advanced life forms were bacteria." To study these modest beginnings, Dr. Fralick searches for ancient evidence preserved in rocks and attempts to tackle 'the really big questions', such as how the modern earth came to be and life's role in its shaping.
His extraordinarily broad and challenging line of research isn't even confined to our planet; Dr. Fralick has also studied Mars, searching for impact-related layers and signs of early life. His intrigue with the red planet was first motivated when he was able to provide NASA with evidence pertaining to the cause of a deposit. "Some suggested the layers on Mars were caused by meteorites, but I was able to show how similar layers had come to form on Earth without meteorite impact."
Before coming to Lakehead, Dr. Fralick worked for several years in industry. While periodically taking on contract work from various companies and the government (he's currently helping the province to examine arsenic contamination in lake systems), he is primarily interested in tackling large-scale problems with global implications: "I worked for several years, making lots of money in the field. I became a professor to pursue my own projects, projects which I believe to be globally significant."
That's not to say he doesn't teach employable skills; Dr. Fralick's students are provided with the knowledge and preparation they require to be competent in industry - and certainly don't have trouble finding a job after they graduate. Meanwhile, they also have the opportunity to pursue some neat and novel projects: one student recently looked at ancient glacial deposits dating back 2400 million years old. Another will soon be observing limestone deposits that are almost 3 billion years old, perhaps one of the first places in the world to host oxygen.
Why pursue graduate studies in geology at Lakehead? In addition to a rock solid curriculum and exciting research opportunities, Dr. Fralick exclaims that it's incredibly convenient to live where your work is: "I can wake up in the morning, take a few steps, maybe drive a little, and I'm in the field."