Fatai Balogun

​2018 - Present       Ph.D. student, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon (Advisor: Matthew Polizzotto

12/2015​                  MS.c in Geosciences, Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.

3/2012                    BS.c in Geology, Department of Geology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, Nigeria 

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Experience

Department of Geosciences, GSU, Atlanta 

Research and Teaching Assistant, (August 2015 – December 2017)

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• Designed experimental protocols to investigate the role of temperature in mitigating high lead concentrations in soil samples, and carried out the research with very minimal supervision.

• Conducted experiments such as acid digestions on soils and sludge according to the EPA 3050 guidelines.

• Evaluated level of Sodium and Potassium in four monitoring wells on the Isle of Hope, Wormsloe, Georgia. Results showed that two of the four monitoring well had elevated concentrations of Sodium and Potassium which are greater than the EPA action levels.

• Conducted soil sampling, sub slab and indoor gas sampling at the ZEP Chemical brownfield site for Logic Environmental LLC in Atlanta, Georgia.

• Wrote short technical papers on environmental problems such as deforestation in Haiti, oil spillage in the Niger Delta and alternate ways to ameliorate these problems.

• Worked on clay mineral separation in sediments excavated from the Olorgesailie Sedimentary Basin in Kenya. With the use of XRD analytical technique, I delineated fresh and saline water periods in the history of paleolakes in the region, and tied this to hominin evolution in the area.

• Experimented on the use X-ray diffraction in determination of Illite/smectite ratios as proxy for determination of the thermal maturity of petroleum source rocks. 

• Involved in Groundwater level measurement, and sampling for Appendix I constituents on a closed C&D landfill (Cheatham farm) under Corrective Action Plan in Cobb County, Georgia.

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Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), Lagos, West Africa

Construction Materials Testing Technician, (Jun 2013- Jun 2014)

 

• Worked as an engineering geologist for a team involved in pavement design of roads and pedestrian bridges in Lagos, West Africa.

• Successfully carried out and interpreted results of soil tests such as Atterberg limit, California bearing, shear strength, triaxial shear and borehole logs.

• Recommended types of foundations to be used based on results of soil test and interpretations of these tests.

• Assisted in writing Technical reports, and development of workplans with subcontractors.

• Effectively coordinated teams of structural engineering interns during geotechnical tests and assessments of ongoing building construction.

 

 

Center for Energy Research and Development (CERD), ile-ife, West Africa

Research Aide, (Jun 2012- Jun 2013)

 

• Assisted in acquisition, preparation and analysis of water, soil and mine tailing samples in over 50 projects to assess health impacts of the radiation they emit members of the public.

• Assessed the impact of radioactivity from natural minerals on miners and residents near an Emerald mine site in South Western Nigeria. Deduced that levels of radiation were within the permissible limit. Results were published in the British journal of Applied Science and Technology.

• Worked on levels of radiation generated by marbles used as dimension stones in quarries from Southwestern Nigeria. I concluded that, 95% of the marbles sampled emit radiation within the permissible limit.

• Successfully managed a Gamma Spectrometer lab equipped with a $250,000 Hyper Pure Germanium Spectrometer, and used the Genie 2000 software for sample analysis and data interpretation

• Prepared Technical reports on results from laboratory analysis such as XRF, XRD, Gamma spectrometer; and interpreted and conveyed results to Research Professors and clients.

• Responsible for troubleshooting the software used for sample analysis.