Jim Hendry

Honourary Doctor of Science - Fall 2008

Jim Hendry, who joined the U of S in 1995, is an internationally renowned researcher in aqueous and environmental geochemistry, and he currently is in his third five-year term at the University of Saskatchewan as a Senior NSERC Industrial Chair. In 1995, Hendry became the first-ever appointee to the position of Endowed Cameco Research Chair in Aqueous and Environmental Geochemistry in the Department of Geological Sciences. There he established and now leads a large, internationally recognized research group that studies the long-term migration of contaminants in the subsurface of the earth.

Much of the research that is undertaken by Hendry and his team is directly relevant to the mining sector not only in Canada but also around the world. His findings have allowed industries to better evaluate the potential environmental impact of their waste rock and mine tailings, and his research into the short- and long-term migration of contaminants through clay-rich media is being used as a benchmark for nuclear-waste disposal. His clay-based research has also assisted the potash industry to assess the long-term impact of brines and led to additional research on behalf of Syncrude Canada Ltd. into the long-term containment of sulfuric acid produced in oil-sands development.