‘If you can see it, you can be it’ Nuton scientist says of female role models
February 11, 2025
Jeana Ratcliff, who works as a Senior Sustainability Advisor at Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture, was born to be a scientist. Growing up in Montana, she spent her childhood outdoors with her science-minded parents, rock-hounding and learning about geology.
Her curiosity extended indoors, where – she constantly tinkered with electronics, learning the ins and outs of any machine she could get her hands on. Jeana fondly recalls buying an old keyboard, taking it apart, and attempting to reassemble it with her two sisters. Her inquisitive nature and love for learning have persisted into her current role at Nuton.
In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Jeana shared insights about her career journey in the sciences, lessons learned along the way, and the advice she would offer others, especially women, considering a career in science.
What does a typical day at Nuton look like for you?
That’s a big question (laughs). Nuton is very dynamic, we’re growing and changing everyday. My focus on sustainability is really Nuton’s overall mission; to produce copper with a positive impact. I’m lucky to be involved in bringing that vision to life.
Most of my work is to directly engage and interface with our partners. I assess where their operations currently are, and how we can explore further opportunities to improve performance through Nuton. We like to challenge the status quo by asking ‘How do we move forward in creating a more sustainable kind of copper supply chain?’
Day to day, my work is quite varied. It’s a good mix of relationship building and data management, and I get to spend some time out in the field every now and then. I enjoy getting out there and being able to see operations, boots on the ground.
Do you like your job?
Yes! Mining is very interesting. You touch every science discipline in this industry. Especially the environmental sciences but also there’s water, biology, chemistry, electrical, mechanical; there’s sort of a piece of every kind of science. I learn a lot every day, which is fun.
How did you first become interested in this particular field?
Most of my family is in the mining industry. My dad is a geophysicist, my mom is a geological engineer. It’s funny, when I first got to college I wanted to explore other careers, but I ended up with a degree in civil engineering and land rehabilitation and found my way back to mining. It’s just fun and super dynamic! Much of my interest had to do with the exposure that I had growing up with my family and the things that we did together. This work is fun, I like it, and I feel like I’m good at it.
What kind of science or mining activities did you and your family do when you were young?
We loved going out to do small-scale prospecting or rock-hounding even. For much of my childhood, my mom was working on mine sites, so having that female role model was huge. What she was doing while being a mother to our family was just a normal thing for me. It didn’t feel like there was a barrier to being a woman doing science-related work. I was like, ‘Oh, Mom’s doing it, so off we go.’
What does it mean to young women to have a role model to look up to in your industry?
I think it’s huge. The classic saying is, if you see it, you can be it. I think that that’s true for a lot of people. Sometimes in the mining industry, there’s still this perception of who does that kind of work. To work in the mining industry does not mean that you’re the guy in the tunnel with the pick axe. Those jobs do exist in some places, but there’s so much more out there.
Having women in leadership positions and different roles can help others understand that there are many different paths to being successful in mining.
What’s your message to young females considering a science-related profession, perhaps in mining specifically?
I think my biggest message is that you don’t have to know everything, and you don’t have to be perfect. A lot of engineers, and scientists, particularly women, struggle with this.
Even as you get further into your career, you should still be learning. There’s a lot of imposter syndrome or fear of asking questions, but I recommend just being curious and allowing yourself to learn more and come up with new ideas. It can feel vulnerable. But realize you don’t have to be 100% perfect at everything to have success.