Where The Magic Happens
Current Serving YGS Council Members
At the Yorkshire Geological Society, we pride ourselves on being diverse, friendly & inclusive. Below is a list of current YGS council members, once you know who we are, come & say hello when you see us at events (or even in the street!).
Mark Brannan| Council Member
It was my A level geography teacher that inspired me to study geology. He had previously taught O level geology earlier in his career and really went above and beyond with the plate tectonics topic in geography. Like him, I really preferred the physical as opposed to human geography. Gradually, my wider reading steered me from physical geography more towards geology. I also really enjoyed A level biology too. So, in 1993, I started a dual honours degree at Keele University in Biology and Geology. The two subjects really complimented each other. I endorsed Keele’s philosophy of a multidisciplinary approach to studies allowing the interconnections to be drawn between subjects. I enjoyed studying the evolution of life on Earth from both a biological and geological perspective.
After graduating from Keele in 1996 I started a PGCE in Secondary science education at Leicester University. In 1997 I embarked on my teaching career. I had always wanted to be a teacher. I have taught science in three different Doncaster schools since 1997. My dual honours science degree gave me a good breadth of scientific knowledge and skills. Currently I am head of science at Hill House School, an independent, 3-18, co-educational school in Doncaster. After a career primarily teaching GCSE and A level biology, I also started teaching GCSE geology in 2021. I was really delighted to be able to teach geology as a subject in its own right. I have been given a lot of resources from members of the geology community who, like me, are all passionate about the subject. I particularly like teaching mapwork and practical skills and linking this to fieldwork. Having launched a geology department at the school I hope to grow the subject and inspire future generations of students to study geosciences. As a member of the Yorkshire Geological Society, recently co-opted onto Council, I want to do my bit to promote the geosciences to young people in Yorkshire.
