PROFILE
And You ARE? Dr. Philippe Erdmer, P. Geol., FGC, FEC (Hon.) The Erdmanator • Skipper • APEGA Board of Examiners Volunteer
Gulf Islands as often as the weather allows. He recounts the story of a four-hour race a few days earlier, in which eight boats finished within a minute of each other. Sailing has been a passion since he was a young boy. “It’s the thrill of the chase.” Not to mention the perfect test of physical and mental stamina. “It’s an athletic pastime with a constant learning curve, and an intellectual game comparable to tournament chess, where you plan many moves ahead and work against the clock.” Being tired, wet, cold, and frustrated at having to recover from tactical and strategic mistakes are trumped by the fun factor, Dr. Erdmer says, in a discussion about reading the wind, getting the boat in the groove, and beating the competition. “Like much worth doing in life, it is experiencing success after taking a chance.”
For most undergraduate geology students, field school is the highlight of the year. It’s an opportunity to travel to remote locations, usually in the mountains, and put into action the geological theories they’ve learned about in class. It’s a pretty awesome experience for professors, too. Just ask Dr. Philippe Erdmer, P.Geol., FGC, FEC (Hon.), who led dozens of field school excursions over his 25-year career as a professor in the University of Alberta’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Although it wasn’t part of the course, he enjoyed challenging his young students to race him up the mountainside. Not for marks, though. Just for bragging rights. More often than not, he’d beat them to the finish line. “There weren’t too many who came in ahead of me,” he says with a laugh, chalking up his success to “cunning and experience.” His endurance earned him the respect of his students — and the nickname The Erdmanator. Since retiring about five years ago, Dr. Erdmer continues to push the limits. He moved with his wife, Liz, who also has a background in geology, to Salt Spring Island, off Canada’s West Coast. There, he can be found racing his 30-foot sailboat around the
YESTERDAY His work as a geologist took Philippe Erdmer, P.Geol., PhD, to almost all of the provinces and territories, including remote locations like the Yukon’s Ruby Range. This photo, taken around 1988, shows him in the field mapping the region’s geology as part of his research into the evolution of the Canadian Cordillera — the still-evolving mountain belt at the western edge of the North American tectonic plate. -photo courtesy Philippe Erdmer, P.Geol., PhD, FGC, FEC (Hon.) It all started when he was a new pro- fessor at the U of A. Fellow professor and renowned geoscientist Dr. Charlie Stelck, OC, P.Geol., FGC, FEC (Hon.), suggested that Dr. Erdmer take over as his replace- ment. “He was ready for some relief after 37 years. That was in 1985 and I’m still on the BOE, still trying to fill his shoes,” says Dr. Erdmer.
NEW ROOTS, OLD TIES
Although he’s put down new roots in B.C., Dr. Erdmer’s ties to Alberta’s geosci- ence community remain strong. He con- tinues to spend many hours each month volunteering as an academic examiner on APEGA’s Board of Examiners. Thirty years on, he’s one of the board’s longest serving volunteers.
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