Ian Spooner (P. Geo, Ph.D.) has been a professor at Acadia in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science for the past 26 years. I saw Dr. Spooner for the first time on The Curse of Oak Island where he is helping with the “science”.
Founded in 1838, Acadia University is one of the oldest and most respected liberal arts universities in Canada. Located just a one-hour drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and its international airport, Acadia is an integral part of the quintessential college town of Wolfville, overlooking the Annapolis Valley and the Bay of Fundy.
Dr. Ian Spooner's education includes a Bachelor of Science (Honors) at Queens University in Geology in 1984. A Master of Science from Queen's University in Geology in 1988 (Applied Sedimentological Evaluation of a Glacial Deposit, Joyceville, Ontario). A Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in Geoscience in 1994 (Quaternary Environmental Change in the Stikine Plateau Region of North-western British Columbia).
Acadia’s 3,574 students come from nearly every province and nearly 60 countries to take advantage of our strong academic programs, a curriculum that encourages personal development, and collaborative learning experiences led by award-winning professors.
Dr. Ian Spooner has supervised 30 masters and 48 honors students to date. He has taught 11 courses ranging from first-year Natural Disasters to graduate-level Quaternary Environments and various areas from Hydrogeology to Environmental Impact Assessment. His primary research interest is investigating environmental change and he has active research programs in northwestern British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
To be taught by Dr. Ian Spooner was nothing short of a transformative experience. Often funny and insightful, Dr. Spooner will tell stories and give examples of the content we are learning. His ability to insert these real-life examples always kept his lessons grounded in reality. He didn’t just leave students with an understanding of certain topics, but a bearing on why it is important, why it is complex, and how it impacts other people. It is this broad way of thinking that you take away from Dr. Spooner’s lectures that transforms you as a person.
Former Student
He also has consulted in Environmental and Risk Assessment, groundwater and surface water contamination, and coastal erosion. He has been involved in environmental risk assessments for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia resource companies. He has served with a number of professional organizations and was recently awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Atlantic Geoscience Society and the Acadia Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Teaching Award.
Acadia University announced February 5, 2020, the appointment of Dr. Ian Spooner as the Director of Research at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens.
Environmental Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner and The Curse of Oak Island regular says that he honestly believes that the Fellowship of the Dig is getting close to solving the 226-year-old mystery of Oak Island. He’s also said that he’s committed to solving that mystery and that he’s hoping to find the answers so he can help bring some closure to the Lagina brothers. His work on the swamp and in other areas has helped bring a real sense of scientific and academic gravitas to the whole operation.
What really went on there? It doesn’t have to be a treasure, but we are all committed to understanding what really happened on Oak Island 226 years ago. I want the brothers to have answers.
Dr. Ian Spooner
The geoscientist also spoke about how working on the island can be tough work. He said the days were often long; usually, from 7 am to 6 pm, and that the conditions were often hot and muddy, and he admitted that he occasionally got a bit “testy” with the others. Unfortunately or fortunately, he didn’t name any names. His latest findings were sending deep underground water off for testing and finding silver and gold traces deep underground.
Further Reading
Sources
Acadia University
The Grapevine
Monsters & Critics
