Dr. Shailee Bhattacharya is an Environmental Geologist with GSI Environmental, Inc. She received her PhD in geology in 2024 and has over 8 years of experience in experimental geochemistry. Her expertise includes designing and conducting experiments around sequential extraction of trace elements from sediments and organic-rich shale, such as rare earth elements, lithium and redox elements. She has tackled geochemical analyses and developed mechanistic models to better understand subsurface geology, and the provenance, transport, and behavior of critical elements in sedimentary systems. Her PhD focused on investigating the relationship between critical minerals and organic matter in black shale and identifying unconventional sources (e.g., produced waters) in oil and gas producing basins in the United States, with special emphasis on the Appalachian basin
At GSI, Dr. Bhattacharya is involved with the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) team, where she contributes to research on the current technical challenges and regulatory status of DLE in the US and other countries. She has also assisted in research and publication efforts in Carbon Sequestration projects. Since joining GSI, Dr. Bhattacharya has assisted in multiple private industry projects. Her responsibilities include working with leadership teams to establish project goals and assist in managing and analyzing geochemical data, critical review of permit applications, and writing final reports. Her fieldwork experience extends to mapping geological facies and structures, well installation and development, soil core logging, and environmental sampling and monitoring.