Meet Our Speakers:
👤Lindsey Schultz, Our Host, CEO of MRC Recruiting.
🎙️ Dr. Jesse R. Reimink, Professor of Geosciences
Dr. Jesse Reimink on the science communicator’s dilemma, critical minerals, and reimagining geoscience education
Penn State geoscientist Dr. Jesse Reimink—Rudy Slingerland Early Career Professor, co-host of Planet Geo, and co-creator of the Camp Geo mobile learning platform—joins Lindsey Schultz to unpack how geoscience is changing and why this moment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for mining, education, and society.
Reimink traces the origins of Planet Geo to the power of relationship-driven learning: listeners connect to hosts first, then to content. Five years in, he and co-host Chris Bolhuis have learned to expect the unexpected—episodes they think are “niche” often explode, and their audience consistently embraces deep dives. Shorts help widen the funnel, but the enduring draw is rigorous, accessible storytelling.
That theme runs through Reimink’s view of geoscientists: they’re creative, optimistic, entrepreneurial, and unusually good at thinking in uncertainty—hallmarks of a historical science that balances data with narratives and risk evaluation. Those traits translate beyond geology into business, venture, and leadership, and they’re exactly what the mining and environmental sectors are hiring for right now.
From Lindsey’s front-line vantage point in executive search, demand has surged—particularly in consulting—across geoscience disciplines (geology, geochemistry, geophysics), with water (hydrology/hydrogeology) rapidly escalating and processing/mineral extraction close behind. Both agree we’re not at peak; we’re at the tipping point driven by critical minerals, water stewardship, and permitting acceleration. Despite that, programs have shrunk and the U.S. underproduces economic geologists—creating a widening expertise gap as new commodities (e.g., lithium, rare earths) become strategically essential.
Reimink sees this gap as fertile ground for high-impact research and industry-academic collaboration. He’s steering his group toward critical minerals, highlighting fundamental questions industry needs answered: how elements move through tectonic and magmatic systems, why certain basins or pegmatites are enriched, and what controls grade and recoverability. He underscores the need to rebuild economic geology capacity in the U.S., revive consulting linkages from academia to practice, and encourage professional licensure to keep curricula relevant and students job-ready.
On education, Reimink is pragmatic and optimistic. Curricula must juggle first principles (mineralogy, petrology) with modern skill sets (data science, risk, instrumentation). Delivery is changing fast—students increasingly learn via YouTube, podcasts, and apps. Enter Camp Geo: a patented “audio textbook” platform that pairs narration with on-screen visuals (think: a true audio version of an illustrated textbook), built to support flipped classrooms and self-paced mastery from zero to intro-level competence. Early modules span foundational geology and thematic series like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and the geology of Gettysburg.
The episode’s most practical takeaway is Reimink’s advice to science communicators and educators:
– Start sharing early and iterate quickly—audiences will surprise you.
– Don’t fear depth; curiosity scales.
– Relentlessly distill—aim to reduce a thesis to five words to clarify the core message.
A final human note: Reimink’s love of rocks spills into a lapidary side venture—turning stone into bookends and wall art—and Lindsey’s story of a rock-collecting kid captures the spark both hope to ignite. The path forward is clear: connect earlier, communicate better, collaborate more—and train the next wave to transform insights into impact.
Connect with Dr. Jesse R. Reimink:
Personal Website https://www.jessereimink.com/
PlanetGeo Podcast https://www.planetgeocast.com/
CampGEO mobile app https://campcourses.app.link/ut2aDyKCBDb
Research Group Website https://crustalevo.geosc.psu.edu/
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: ⏱️
0:19 – Intro of Dr. Jesse Reimink (Penn State, Planet Geo, Camp Geo) + episode theme
3:12 – How listener feedback shapes future episodes
15:43 – Penn State’s entrepreneurship minor around energy/geoscience
17:57 – Why it’s an exciting moment to be a geology professor (critical minerals)
20:15 – Industry signals: “We need more professional geologists.”
21:28 – Hiring wave: consulting and broad geo training
30:03 – Multiple lenses (energy, defense, society) all point to critical minerals
30:59 – Students need co-ops/internships; mining still talks to itself
45:03 – ’90s gap in economic geology → talent shortage now
45:31 – Prof jobs are increasingly tied to critical minerals
50:01 – Getting PG license to advise students from real-world experience
1:01:17 – Wrap-up: AEMA plans + keeping the industry–academia bridge alive
Connect with us on LinkedIn and check out monthly episodes of Ore-atory: Elevating Mining Minds on Apple Podcast or Spotify, where we continue to explore the mining industry workspace.
Tune in and be part of the conversation that’s shaping the future of mining!
Are you a job seeker looking for your next opportunity or an organization looking to hire your next team member? If you have time for a quick chat about your goals MRC can help connect with us.