New appointments to BGS Science Advisory Committee
The appointments mark the latest step in the ongoing delivery of BGS’s essential geological expertise.
29/08/2024 By BGS Press
BGS is delighted to announce several new appointments to the BGS Science Advisory Committee (SAC), the body that advises on the development and delivery of BGS public-good science.
The following individuals will serve three-year terms as part of the SAC:
- Ruth Allington, engineering geologist in independent practice, specialising in the design of quarries and mines, and immediate past president of The Geological Society
- Prof Neil Hyatt, chief scientific advisor to Nuclear Waste Services and Aegis Professor of deep time at the University of Bristol
- Prof Jennifer McKinley, professor of geology and mathematical geoscience, Queen’s University Belfast

(Left) Ruth Allington, engineering geologist in independent practice, and former president of The Geological Society, and (right) Prof Jennifer McKinley, professor of geology and mathematical geoscience, Queen’s University Belfast
After having served as an observer for the past year, Prof Carol Frost, currently a member of the BGS Board, has also been appointed to the role of SAC Chair.
The addition of such expertise will be invaluable to our work in guiding BGS’s efforts to deliver a science strategy that empowers the pursuit of enhanced knowledge of the subsurface and enables effective decision making.
Prof Carol Frost, SAC Chair.
The SAC will continue to advise BGS on how best to focus on the four priority science areas identified in the BGS Strategy 2023 to 2028, ‘Understanding our Earth’:
- maps and models for the 21st century
- a more secure energy transition
- improved water security
- living with geological hazards
Under the terms of the body’s standard governance framework, the committee has seen a series of departures over the past 12 months. These include:
- Dr Patrick Bermingham, former exploration chief geophysicist, Shell International Exploration and Production
- Prof Stephen de Mora, independent environmental consultant
- Prof Cherry Tweed, MBE, former chief scientific advisor to Nuclear Waste Services
Also stepping down from the SAC is Prof Frances Wall, professor of applied mineralogy at Camborne School of Mines, who has acted as the SAC Chair for the past six years.
It has been an honour to serve alongside such passionate advocates of geoscience and to share in their collective vision for BGS’s operations over the coming years. Their work in shaping BGS’s strategy will continue to play a central role in the organisation’s direction at a time of great demand for essential geological expertise.
Prof Frost and the BGS science leadership team.
Relative topics
Related news

Kamchatka earthquake highlights the advances in tsunami early warning systems
31/07/2025
The response to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia has emphasised how far scientific understanding of tsunamis has come over the last two decades, and the improved mitigation measures that are now in place.

New journal article reveals snapshot of forever chemicals in shallow English soils
31/07/2025
Data on the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in English soils has been released.

BGS hosts India for ‘deep dive’ on carbon capture and storage
30/07/2025
Some of India’s top scientists visited BGS to explore the UK’s carbon dioxide storage research potential.

Zambia’s first critical minerals guide supports the country’s potential in global clean energy transition
18/07/2025
A new guide to Zambia’s critical minerals highlights the country’s current and potential critical mineral resources, including cobalt and lithium.

Funding awarded to UK/Canadian critical mineral research projects
08/07/2025
BGS is part of a groundbreaking science partnership aiming to improve critical minerals mining and supply chains.

New collaboration aims to improve availability of real-time hazard impact data
19/06/2025
BGS has signed a memorandum of understanding with FloodTags to collaborate on the use of large language models to improve real-time monitoring of geological hazards and their impacts.

Goldilocks zones: ‘geological super regions’ set to drive annual £40 billion investment in jobs and economic growth
10/06/2025
Eight UK regions identified as ‘just right’ in terms of geological conditions to drive the country’s net zero energy ambitions.

BGS digital geology maps: we want your feedback
29/05/2025
BGS is asking for user feedback on its digital geological map datasets to improve data content and delivery.

New interactive map viewer reveals growing capacity and rare earth element content of UK wind farms
16/05/2025
BGS’s new tool highlights the development of wind energy installations over time, along with their magnet and rare earth content.

Latest mineral production statistics for 2019 to 2023 released
28/04/2025
More than 70 mineral commodities have been captured in the newly published volume of World Mineral Production.

Geology sans frontières
24/04/2025
Geology doesn’t stop at international borders, so BGS is working with neighbouring geological surveys and research institutes to solve common problems with the geology they share.

What does the next generation of coastal environmental models look like?
15/04/2025
A new tool is now available that has been designed to help coastal engineers and practitioners better manage the compound risk of coastal erosion and flooding.