Hi there! I’m Neil, a geologist specializing in experimental petrology – the use of high pressure and temperature experiments to understand processes on Earth and other planetary bodies.
I’m currently an Assistant Prof. at the University of Toronto, but my journey here started in the UK – where I was born and raised. After completing my undergraduate degree in geology at the University of Birmingham, I moved to the University of Toronto, Canada, to study for a PhD in geochemistry. I subsequently moved to the Carnegie Institution for Science, in Washington DC, for a post-doctoral fellowship. This was followed by a move to California, where I held roles at UC Davis, IXL Learning – an edtech company, and Saildrone – a Bay Area startup that uses wind-powered drones to collect oceanographic data in some of the world’s most inhospitable waters.
This website describes some of the science I’ve been lucky enough to work on during the past years, alongside some photography documenting my travels.
You can contact me via the contact page, or connect with me on Linkedin. If you’re interested in graduate opportunities, undergraduate research positions, or collaborations, please contact me via one of the methods listed above, or look me up on the department website. You can also find my contact information via the U of T Discover Research portal.
neil bennett 