Ruan Ainslie

My name is Ruan Ainslie and I am currently an intern at the Council for Geoscience, in the GIS and Scientific Database Unit. I am a 26-year-old male with a Masters degree in Environmental Sciences with Hydrology and Geohydrology. My Masters dissertation concentrated on the geophysical investigation of soil moisture content on a pivot irrigation farm, where I compared different geophysical methods and apparatuses statistically and visually.

I have a passion for my work in Geology, Soil Science, Geohydrology, Geophysics, Environmental Rehabilitation and GIS. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and am comfortable in front of larger audiences, a skill I have learnt during my years of being a Student Demonstrator, and the classes I have given. I enjoy learning and expanding my knowledge in these fields, whether it be in the field or theoretically. 

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Geology

Mine and Environmental Rehabilitation

Geology, Mineralogy and Petrology

Hydrogeology and Hydrology

Geophysics

GIS Analysis

Geographic Information System (GIS) Intern

Council for Geoscience (CGS)

September 2020 - Present                                                                                                       Pretoria

• Geoscience data analysis, editing, quality and representation,
• Presenting workshops on ArcGIS Pro and Python,
• Report writing, reviewing and presentations,
• Assistance with general IT and software issues,
• Creating, maintaining and populating local databases,
• Dashboard development, and
• General GIS analysis.

Contract Environmental Scientist and Consultant

Terrasim

May 2019 - September 2020                                                                                                    Centurion

• Writing and proofreading of scientific reports, studies and literature reviews,
• Data cleaning and –analyses:
  • Water retention curve determination,
  • Soil texture,
  • Data analysis of soil chemical properties,
  • Presentation of soil data in graphs, tables and pivot tables,
  • Gravimetric soil water content sample preparation and analysis, and
  • Data preparation for groundwater and soil modelling.

General Laboratory Work

North West University 

2018                                                                                                                              Potchefstroom

• Soil and Geological sample analyses (e.g. pH, EC and XRF),
• Bentonite and other clay analyses (swelling, activation, water holding capacity, viscosity, chemical analyses), and
• Sample preparation (e.g. XRD/XRF sample prep, and composite sample prep).

Field Assistant

Boscia Environmental Solutions

2017                                                                                                                              Northern Cape

• Collecting data using various methods and apparatuses including, but not limited to:
  • Magnetometer, Resistivity meter, Soil and geotechnical classification and description, Data collection for Land Function Analyses (LFA’s), Magnetic susceptibility and Radioactivity.

Student Assistant and Demonstrator

North West University (Geology Department)

2016, 2017 and 2018 (First Semester: First year Geology (Introduction to Geology))  Potchefstroom

• Assisting with identification of Minerals,
• Assisting with identification of Igneous Rock,
• Assisting with identification of Metamorphic Rock,
• Assisting with identification of Sedimentary Rock,
• Setting and Marking tests and assignments,
• Preparation of practical labs,
• Presenting practical session classes, and
• Facilitation.

Student Assistant and Demonstrator

North West University (Geology Department)

2017 and 2018 (First Semester: Third year Geology (Metamorphic petrology and Geochemistry))

                                                                                                                                               Potchefstroom

• Assisting with microscope work (Thin Section),
• Assisting with identification of Metamorphic Rocks (Samples and Thin Sections),
• Assisting with mineral identification of Metamorphic Rocks (Samples and Thin Sections), 
• Assisting with Geochemical analysis and processing of data, 
• Marking tests and assignments, 
• Preparation of practical labs,
• Presenting practical sessions and Classes, and
• Facilitation of Geology theory.

Student Assistant and Demonstrator

North West University (Geology Department)

2017 and 2018 (Second Semester: Second year Geology (Geological Mapping and Sedimentology))                                                                                                                                                                           Potchefstroom

• Assisting with Geological maps,
• Identification and description of sedimentary rocks, and 
• Assisting with practical sessions.

Student Assistant and Demonstrator

North West University (Geology Department)

2016 (Second Semester: First year Soil Science (Introduction to Soil Science))             Potchefstroom

• Assisting with the use of Hydrometer,
• Marking Tests and assignments, and
• Preparation of practical labs and samples.

General Worker and Assistant

Middleburg OK

2010 - 2012 (During School Holidays)                                                                                     Middleburg

• Receiving,
• Packing,
• Storage work,
• Butchery, and 
• General maintenance assistant.

Tertiary institute: North West University

Field of study: M.Sc. Environmental Sciences with Hydrology and Geohydrology

Year of study completed: 2019

Tertiary institute: North West University

Field of study: B.Sc. Hons. Environmental Sciences with Environmental Geology

Year of study completed: 2017

Tertiary institute: North West University

Field of study: B.Sc. Environmental and Biological Sciences with Geology and Geography

Year of study completed: 2016