Introducing our new web editing team members!
The Yorkshire Geological Society is pleased to announce that we have two new web editing team members. As their first assignment, we asked them to tell us a bit about themselves.
Dr Jed Atkinson | Assistant Web editor
Palaeontology has always been my greatest passion. I was fortunate to grow up in Yorkshire and spent many happy weekends out on the fabulous Yorkshire coastline collecting fossils. It is still a regular haunt of mine and I am often to be found tramping the beaches in search of new wonders relinquished by the cliffs.
I followed the path of palaeontology (and geology) to the University of Leeds where I completed a BSc in Geological Sciences and later a PhD. Over the course of the seven years I spent with the School of Earth and Environment I focused my research on recovery after mass extinction events. These intervals are particularly interesting as they document the rebuilding of ecosystems over hundreds of thousands to millions of years. For my PhD I documented size trends in bivalve molluscs, discovering in the wake of the end-Triassic mass extinctions that new species evolved with small body sizes but over the course of the Early Jurassic grew into comparable giants!
Away from the geosciences I am something of a dabbler. From mounting whole skeletons (including a reindeer in the University office, to the surprise of my office mates!) to creating scrap metal sculptures of H.G. Wells’ Martians, I am always ready to try my hand at anything. And so, with that mantra in mind I have joined the YGS website team!
Dr Richard J. Williams | Assistant Web Editor
I am incredibly excited to be joining the Yorkshire Geology Society team and I look forward to meeting and working with many enthusiastic geologists from across Yorkshire!
I am an environmental geologist, a gym enthusiast, a massive fan of heavy metal music and I am a decent home cook! I have a BSc in Geology, and MSc in Mining Geology and a PhD in Exploration Geology.
I work as a Partner and Consultant with a global environmental and engineering consultancy where I mainly specialise in sustainable restoration of contaminated land. I am the Manager of the online environmental news and education site Spotlight Environment, I host an environmental engineering focused podcast called 'Beyond Sustainability', and I give regular geology focused talks to amateur geology groups. As well as volunteering for assistant Web Editor, I also volunteer as a Consultant Geologist for the Craven Museum.
