Brierley is principal of Brierley Consultancy LLC, providing expertise in biomining for metals extraction, and market analyses and business development for products and services related to metals extraction. Her company serves the mining sector, government organizations, and investment firms. Previously, she was head of environmental process development for Newmont Mining Company; adjunct professor of metallurgical engineering, University of Utah; general partner of VistaTech Partnership, Ltd.; founder and president of Advanced Mineral Technologies, Inc.; a research scientist at the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources; and a microbiologist for Martin-Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed-Martin).

She earned her B.S. in biology and M.S. in chemistry from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and a Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. Brierley is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), currently serves on the NAE Council, and chairs the National Research Council (NRC) Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and the NAE Foundation Audit Committee.

Brierley was awarded the SME’s Milton E. Wadsworth Award in 2011 and the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (AIME)’s James Douglas Gold Medal Award in 2008; both awards recognize distinguished contributions in non-ferrous metallurgy. She also received The Distinguished Achievement Award by the Alumni Association of New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology. Brierley is the author of some 80 technical publications and five patents, and is the co-editor of one book and two conference proceedings.