William Shotyk

William Shotyk is a Professor and Bocock Chair in Agriculture and the Environment at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Department of Renewable Resources. He holds joint appointments in the Land Reclamation International Graduate School (LRIGS) program. His research focuses on environmental soil science, geochemistry, and the impacts of industrial activities on ecosystems.

Education: B.Sc. (Agr.) in Soil Science and Chemistry from the University of Guelph (1981), Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the University of Western Ontario (1986), and postdoctoral training at UC Riverside and University of Bern (Switzerland). He became a Full Professor at Heidelberg University before joining the University of Alberta in 2011.

Research Interests: Geochemical cycling of trace metals (Pb, Sb, As, Cd, Ag, Tl, Hg), soil and water conservation, biogeochemical processes in peatlands, and the application of isotopic techniques (Pb, Sr, radiogenic isotopes) to environmental problems. Recent work includes studying atmospheric dust deposition from oil sands mining, trace element bioavailability, and the Anthropocene Epoch's geological markers.

Key projects include the SWAMP (metal-free ultra-clean lab), the Elmvale Groundwater Observatory, and collaborations on peat core analyses to trace environmental changes. His work bridges fundamental geochemistry with applied issues like wastewater treatment and climate change impacts.

Awards: Philippe Duchaufour Medal (2012), Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2018), Geochemistry Fellow (2019).

Teaching: Courses on soil and water conservation (REN R 360/750), trace elements in the environment (REN R 418/518), and advanced research skills (REN R 605). He advises graduate students in environmental geochemistry and land reclamation.

Lab/Teams: SWAMP Lab, LRIGS Program, and international collaborations on peatlands and Anthropocene research.