Réjean Girard graduated from the Laval University with a degree in geology in 1985, then pursued a graduate degree in mineral resources at the University of Québec in Chicoutimi. In 1992, I founded IOS Services Geoscientifiques Inc, a consulting business dedicated to mineral exploration. Since approximately 1997, I have operated a commercial mineralogy laboratory. Since 2013, we have been actively involved in the development of automated heavy mineral identification methods.