Looking Forward, Looking Backward: An Unorthodox Journey
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Looking Forward, Looking Backward: An Unorthodox Journey

The memoirs of an accidental geologist

About the Book

This book tells the personal story of an immigrant woman in science. We immigrants bring the experiences of the countries of our birth, the poverty, the tribulations of our youth, and then the story of how we adjusted to Canadian life and have contributed, often in very special ways, to the success of the people whom we serve. As a female geologist, I have had a career that was at times lonely, frequently a struggle, and with experiences that seem so bizarre that I can only laugh at them now. During many years as a geology professor, I have tried to pay forward my childhood experiences. This book also explores how the landscape of university education in geology has changed over the past 50 years and my efforts and successes in fostering life-long innovation. I would like this book to bring inspiration, hope and courage to women navigating male-dominated workplaces, and those who have experienced some of the emotional challenges of my life, including childhood poverty, caring for an elderly parent, and cancer.

All author royalties from this book will be donated to the Piper Family Bursary for science students in financial need at Saint Mary’s University.

A hardcopy (paperback) version of this book is available through Amazon.

About the Author

Georgia Pe-Piper
Georgia Pe-Piper

Georgia was born on the island of Kos, now in Greece, during German occupation at the end of the Second World War. She supported herself with scholarships and tutoring through high school, as an undergraduate at the University of Athens, and for her doctorate at the University of Cambridge, England. After working for almost a decade as a geology professor at the University of Patras, Greece, she immigrated to Canada in 1980 with two young daughters to join her British husband. She started working as geology professor at Saint Mary’s University in 1981 and is now Professor Emerita. She has published hundreds of technical papers on geology, written a book on “The igneous rocks of Greece: the anatomy of an orogen”, and received several professional awards for her work including the CFES Mentorship Medal and two honorary degrees. There is more about her professional work at: https://smu.ca/academics/departments/geology-faculty-and-staff-georgia-pe-piper.html   and here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Georgia_Pe-Piper

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • 1. The scenery of my birth (1944)
  • 2. Wandering in the fields and hills (1944-1954)
  • 3. Teenage years (1955-1967)
  • 4. Athens University (1962-1968)
  • 5. Cambridge University (1968-1971)
  • 6. The years of fulfilment (1972-1980)
  • 7. Major changes and experiences (1981-1989)
  • 8. The opportunity for influence (1989-1992)
  • 9. Further building (1992-2009)
  • 10. Return to my roots
  • Illustrations

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