2015

A.E. (Willy) Williams-Jones is a professor in economic geology and geochemistry at McGill University, Canada. He received his early education in South Africa, completing B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees at the University of Natal, and then immigrated to Canada where he earned a Ph.D. at Queen’s University. Prior to becoming a university professor, he worked for several years as an exploration geologist with INCO in Southern Africa and Brazil. His research, which combines field-based and experimental approaches, focuses on the behaviour of metals in crustal fluids and the genesis of hydrothermal ore deposits. He and his students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates have made significant contributions to our understanding of the genesis of magmatic base and precious metal deposits and more recently deposits of the rare earth elements and related critical metals. The results of this research have appeared in over 200 refereed journal articles and book chapters, and have been recognized by awards from the Geological Association of Canada, the Mineralogical Association of Canada, the Society of Economic Geologists and the Royal Society of Canada. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Sciences).