A Newsletter for friends and supporters of the Department of Mining Engineering ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021
Mining Engineering
Starting in the upper left-hand corner, going clockwise: Mining PhD Student Solomon Osuwu being congratulated by his advisor, Dr. Kadri Dagdelen, upon Solomon's graduation this past December (with President Johnson in the background). Mine Rescue student participating in a recent simulation. Mining student from summer field session 2020 surveying at Edgar Mine. EMI staff and students posing with full scale Fletcher roofbolter donated to EMI by Kennametal and installed in summer 2020.
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 3
connect with us
Instagram: csm_mining
4......................................................................................................................................Quick Bits 6...................................................................................................................................EMI Update 7..................................................................................................................................EMCIS News 8..................................................................................................................Kroll Institute Update 9......................................................................................................................The Tailings Center 10...........................................................................................................Student Groups Updates 16..................................................................................................................Faculty Perspectives
Mining@Mines.edu
Dear alumni, friends and supporters, This issue of the Mining Engineering newsletter has a bit of something for everybody, with the last year's news regarding faculty, students and updates on various programs. On the next page, we’ve included an index for reference so you can easily find your favorite program or topic. As the new department head since Aug. 1, I've been delighted to inherit a vibrant department that is healthy, strong and very much looking forward to the future. The outlook on demand for metals and minerals of all kinds is robust and driven by global trends in energy transition and sustainability; global warming and carbon footprints; and the ever-increasing population and demand for a higher quality of life in the developing world. As a result, there is a strong demand for mining engineers and other professionals to work in this exciting and cutting-edge industry. Colorado School of Mines has been ranked as the top mining school in the world every year since 2016, and the strength of the Mining Engineering Department is a major reason for this reputation. Although this is nice recognition to receive, I believe it creates an obligation for us to step-up as a leader in addressing the education, research and outreach challenges associated with the mining sector of the U.S. and global economy. Below are six of the major initiatives that were started in fall 2020 with help from members of our Industry Advisory Council: Edgar Mine: Recapitalizing the Edgar Mine and expanding the Edgar Campus. We are currently developing strategic and business plans to support a scope of work and budget. Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI): Developing strategic and business plans to move the EMI into the future and support the Subsurface Discovery Lab (SDL), which is a MINES@150 fundraising campaign priority. The SDL proposal includes the EMI, a Core Research and Learning Center, Lunar Test Bed as well as other rock-based labs. Recruiting: Doubling and sustaining the average number of undergraduates in the department by focusing on women and underrepresented minorities, in addition to our traditional student demographics. Currently we have 84 undergraduates, so the target moving forward is 160-180. Mining Scholars Program: Increasing the number and value of undergraduate scholarships such that at least 70 percent of our students are supported by a scholarship or grant. Currently, 54 percent of our students receive scholarships at an average of $4,200 per year, each. Mining Student Signature Experience: Ensuring a distinctive experience for students in our programs. This includes hands-on education, visiting mining operations, attending conferences and experiential learning opportunities, while providing opportunities to meet with industry influencers and developing leadership skills. The Tailings Center: Establishing an education, training and research center in collaboration with Colorado State University, The University of Arizona and industry partners to address the engineering design and operational challenges associated with mine waste and tailings. Please see page 8 for more information. The most important event happening early this semester is the one-day, 2021 #idigmines giving event on Thursday, February 4th. This year, we are focused on funding the Mining Student Signature Experience initiative described above. We are particularly grateful to Tim ’87 and Mary Haddon who will be providing a $25,000 matching gift challenge to the Department of Mining Engineering. Please visit the iDigMines website at idig.mines.edu to learn more about the 2021 #idigmines campaign. Thanks so much to our amazing staff, students, faculty, alumni, industry partners, friends and supporters who make our program so outstanding. My education at Mines has had a profound positive impact on my life. I trust that your association with us has been just as valuable. Cheers! -Steve
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mining-engineering-at-mines
welcome
M. Stephen Enders Department Head
Featured on the cover
From the new Mining Engineering Department Head
Facebook.com/MinesMiningEngieering
ColoradoSchoolofMines 1560 Illinois Street Brown Hall 239 Golden, CO 80401 303-273-3700 MINING.MINES.eDU ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021 A newsletter for friends & supporters of Colorado School of Mines Mining Engineering Department
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section name
New 2 CY loader
Quick Bits
Quick Bits, continued...
Best wishes to Professor Ozbay
After 20 dedicated years of teaching as a professor, publishing dozens of peer-reviewed articles and rock mechanics consulting all over the world, Professor Ugur Ozbay has retired. He worked hard to be a great teacher to his students, who he took time to support and get to know. He loved his school and his program, and the Mining Engineering Department will miss him greatly and wish him the very best of luck!
Newsletter 5
Students from field session, summer 2020
Professional Masters Program: The MP-MEM steps beyond the traditional curricula to explore the mine service disciplines that are only lightly touched upon in our existing programs. Services like water, tailings, closure, data management systems, environmental responsibility, permitting, and social license are some of those areas that are critically important to a successful mining project, but not heavily covered in our conventional programs. The degree is a hybrid between a master's and an MBA. The difference is all our courses focus directly on mining. The business coursework includes accounting, mineral economics, investment decision-making and finance. To distinguish though, in our accounting course, our students learn how to read a balance sheet and income statement and use key financial ratios to assess the financial health of a company through publicly disclosed documents. Beyond the mine services and business courses, our mine engineering topics include geology, mining, and processing. Our courses do not teach students how to design an exploration program, a mine, or a mineral process. Instead, they focus on what the executive needs to know in order to effectively manage and lead these critically important cost centers. We use a combination of in-house faculty with industry experience and outside industry experts who teach as adjuncts. The program was designed to share specialized expertise with students. The diversity of both the coursework and expertise required for a program like this is something distinctive to Mines. No other university in the world has a program comparable to the MP-MEM. It is truly unique to Colorado School of Mines. Edgar Mine: Colorado School of Mines' Edgar Mine has experienced a continuous improvement effort over the past year. Students and staff were utilized on multiple projects that will propel the Edgar Mine to a world-class underground teaching, research and training facility for many disciplines. Some of the projects that have been completed or are near completion include: Purchased a 2 CY loader to triple mucking capabilities. This is a “game changing” investment and more than doubled the mucking and development capabilities in the Edgar Mine. Rebuilt the underground classroom to improve the seating and teaching podium, as well as to improve the museum aspect for underground tours. Installed high-speed internet to the office and underground works. Rebuilt the Army portal with structural upgrade and a new door. Opened Miami drift to Edgar vein for improved ventilation, this will be a significant improvement in mine utility as it allows to create two independent ventilation pathways. New 20 horsepower fan installed to rehabilitate Miami. Build new underground Petroleum Lab for Petroleum Apache Core Drill. Diversity, Inclusion and Access (DI&A): Our DI&A work continues in the Mining Engineering Department, and we are thrilled to report that in August, we secured a grant to support our efforts. The funds are being used to hire external DI&A experts who will guide faculty and graduate students in the Mining Engineering and Geological Engineering departments through a series of workshops aimed at supporting us in creating more diverse and inclusive learning and teaching communities. We have already had our first workshop and look forward to continuing them throughout the Spring semester. Please stay tuned for more updates on our DI&A efforts or reach out to us for more information.
EMCIS Update
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"Over 30 years of MSHA training and this is the best course in terms of techniques used, variety and interaction."
The Mining Engineering Department is pleased to announce that the Energy, Mining, and Construction Industry Safety (EMCIS) program is the recipient of a 3-year, $1.452 Million grant from CDC NIOSH Mining in support of its continuing efforts to enhance the quality and availability of health and safety training for Western mine workers. The principle investigators of the grant are Hugh Miller and Michelle Reiher, and supported by a truly outstanding group of safety professionals that include Kirk McDaniel, Korky Vault, Jerry Powers and Lori Guasta. The program also includes several undergraduate and graduate students who play pivotal roles in the training mission of the group. The primary goals of the grant include providing workers with relevant knowledge regarding the hazards associated with working at mine sites and effective controls for reducing risk for injuries and illnesses. As part of this effort, a comprehensive approach to meeting the safety and health training needs of the Western mining industry will be employed by providing a high quality, interactive training experience that targets a diversity of audiences, including: mine workers, trainers, safety and health professionals, mine management, and mining engineering and geology students. In addition, this training program is designed to service underrepresented industry sectors, such as contractors, consultants, suppliers, equipment manufacturers and small mining operations. This approach strongly encourages trainees to become active participants and take ownership in improving the health and safety conditions where they work. With questions or to learn more about the program, please contact either Hugh Miller (hbmiller@mines.edu) or Michelle Reiher (mreiher@mines.edu).
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 7
Updates from the Earth Mechanics Institute
2020 certainly was a very interesting year for EMI! We started the year with both service testing and linear cutting testing for De Beers and a student-led study for NIOSH. The NIOSH project related to development of a smart bit for application on various mining machinery. This project is also studying dust mitigation by reduction at generation point as well as improving overall health and safety. The arrival of March coincided with the lock-down and everything came to a screeching halt. After careful consideration, and planning to comply with guidelines for a safe working environment, work in the laboratories gradually resumed. We have been very successful in that we reached our pre-COVID capacity without compromising the health and safety of staff or students. This was possible through the dedication of EMI leadership and students, and we are grateful to all the students and staff. During the 6-week closure, EMI’s Manager Brent Duncan, and MN Lab Coordinator Bruce Yoshioka, started the Masks for Mines Initiative. This allowed a coordinated effort to recruit over 100 volunteers to sew almost 14,000 Mines-themed masks for the Mines community. 2020 also saw the installation of a new piece of equipment. Kennemetal donated the Fletcher roof-bolting simulator to EMI, and installation was completed over the summer. This equipment will allow EMI to develop drilling methodology and design/test new hardware, all in a controlled lab environment. A full-scale rotary cutting machine/simulator was received as part of the donation. We are now able to perform full-scale tests on cuterheads! Our cooperation with DeBeers continues as they are looking for innovative mining techniques to mine kimberlite in Northern Canada. This includes full-scale cutting tests, modeling of the performance of various machines, and mining configurations for more automated operations. We are starting water jet cutting of kimberlite and country rock to evaluate the possibility of rock excavation also while developing new mining methods. We have also started working with Nutrien on improving the performance of their borer miners. Meanwhile, the rock mechanics testing for a variety of mining and tunneling projects continues and we anticipate having increased volume of rock mechanics testing in 2021. EMI is also becoming more involved with NASA and space-related projects. EMI recently completed a multi-year study, which looked at material characterization while drilling on the lunar surface. A continuation of this project was submitted for consideration to NASA. We will continue to promote EMI as a go-to location for development and testing of drilling and excavation equipment for space mining applications. Currently, there is a small test bed for simulation of lunar surface stationed at EMI. This is being used to test various robots for moving around and drilling into the lunar surface. On behalf of everyone at EMI, we would like to wish everyone a happy and successful new year!
Earth mechanics institute
Lunar surface simulator for testing robotic drilling and movement.
Energy, Mining and Construction Industry Safety (EMCIS) news
Updates from the Kroll Institute
the tailings center news
In collaboration with Universidad Nacional de San Agustín in Peru, Mines is helping form a new center for sustainable mining research
Catastrophic failures of tailings facilities in recent years resulted in a step-change in developing new industry standards of care and regulatory requirements. Implementation of new and enhanced tailings management programs require a dramatic increase in trained engineers and scientists to meet the requirements of improved safe design, construction operation, and closure of tailings facilities. To meet the growing need for multi-disciplinary training and education, three major universities in the US that are at the core of training and research in mining engineering and mine waste management have combined forces to form a tailings center (the Center). The partner universities are the Colorado School of Mines (Mines), Colorado State University (CSU) and the University of Arizona (Arizona). The core of the Tailings Center is faculty from Mines, CSU, and Arizona. The three institutions have strong reputations and complementary expertise in the fields of mine waste and tailings management. Mines and Arizona are home to world-class programs in mining engineering; and the premier international conference on the subject, the Tailings & Mine Waste Conference, was founded by CSU in 1978 The Center plans to offer five discrete professional development courses in the spring of 2021, which will result in a certificate for working professionals and students. The initial five courses were developed with input from an industry-led Technical Advisory Committee, which was formed to help guide course development. The first Director for the Center is Mike Henderson, who is a Research Professor at Mines. Each university will have a Site Director – Dr. Linda Figueroa for Mines, Joe Scalia for CSU, and Drs/ Jaeheon Lee and Gail Heath for Arizona.
For more information on The Tailings Center, email us at TailingsCenter@Mines.edu or head to our website mining.mines.edu/tailings
The Tailings Center
kroll institute update
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 9
The Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy (KIEM) is the home of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy at Mines. Dr. William J. Kroll, inventor of the titanium and zirconium metal production processes provided a donation to Mines which initiated our institute. Despite COViD-19, we were able to host a campus visit from his grandnephew, Guillaume Kroll. Interestingly, William Kroll’s nephew (Guillaume’s father) is an esteemed cartoonist in Belgium and he presented us with a special edition cartoon in honor of his son’s visit to the Mines’ campus. In January of 2019, KIEM and its Faculty joined the Mining Engineering Department. KIEM performs teaching, research and service in mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, recycling and waste minimization at the Colorado School of Mines. The funding sources are industry, The NSF Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling (now in its tenth year), the DOE Critical Materials Institute, DOE REMADE and DOE NREL. Due to COVID-19 both of our long term well attended professional service short courses on Industrial Recycling and Mineral Processing were cancelled. However, we had several graduate students receive their master's and doctoral degrees in 2020. New research projects are now starting from Universidad Nacional de San Augustin de Arequipa (UNSA) and Tata Chemicals and several more research proposals are under consideration for funding. Several of our technical results have been published and patents applied for. We remain among the very best mineral processing/extractive metallurgy programs in the world.
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Mining engineering Student groups
SME Officer's Meeting Fall 2020
SME student chapter updates
Mining Engineering Student Groups
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 11
Our student-led groups continue to work full-steam, even in remote settings. While it was a challenge this year, our students rocked!
The Colorado School of Mines Student chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) has had an interesting year. In February, the chapter had the opportunity to send over 15 people to the 2020 Annual SME Conference which was held in Phoenix, Arizona. This provided an exciting networking opportunity for many students who previously had no conference experience. As the conference drew to a close, a number of our students were able to go on a once in a lifetime trip to visit Freeport McMoRan’s Morenci Mine located in Morenci, Arizona. The group was able to tour both the mine site and the mill site during this overnight excursion before returning to Phoenix to catch flights back to Denver. Shortly after the conference, Mines transitioned to online classes and as a result many of the chapter’s cherished traditions like the E-Days Mining Games and the end of the semester BBQ could not be held. However, the chapter was still able to hold the usual bi-weekly general meetings and officer meetings over Zoom which provided members the chance to engage both with each other and industry professionals during the last few months of the Spring Semester. The chapter has continued to hold meetings over Zoom during the Fall Semester. We have continued hosting general meetings with guest speakers every other week and are using our chapter funds to award active chapter members with door prizes for attending. Our officers have been hard at work coming up with creative new ways to encourage member participation as well as planning socially distant involvement with various volunteer events. As the Fall Semester nears its end, the chapter will begin preparing for the 2021 Annual SME Conference which will be held online in March, 2021. While the format and planning process for the Annual Conference look a little different, our chapter is still as excited as ever to take part in it. The SME 2020-2021 officers are Chloe Poindexter (President), Marie Sullivan (Vice President), Lev Stephens (Treasurer), Kellan Gillis (Secretary), Claire Kincaid and Lukas Fahle (Mineral Education Coalition Chairs), Sydney Connor and Tanner Plank (Social Chairs), Natalia Soares Rodrigues (Campus Relations Chair), and Rahel Dean-Pelikan (Graduate Student Representative). We wish everyone a very happy and safe 2021!
During the Fall 2019 semester, ISEE was revitalized on campus for the first time in some years. The challenges of starting, growing, and establishing a professional society club on campus during this pandemic have been numerous. The officers had a rough start, as they were elected during the Spring 2020 semester, literally within an hour of students receiving notice that school will be closed for the remainder of the semester. This was tough on us, but we have persevered. With the help of our academic advisors Lee Fronapfel, Dr. Jamal Rostami, Dr. Veronica Eliasson, and industry advisor Richard O’Meara, we have been able to offer a consistent and wide variety of guest lectures this semester. Our attendance hasn’t been extraordinary, but that was to be expected under the circumstances we are currently enduring. As we come to grips with how to best deal with the restrictions of COVID-19, we have tried to set ourselves apart from other professional society clubs on campus by offering in-person meetings while giving a remote option as well. Guest lecturers have not been allowed to attend in person, unless they are faculty of the school, so we have been thankful for all our lecturers to utilize Zoom. Next semester, we look to expand our meetings to not only guest lectures, but to also conduct live experiments/blasts. As these uncertain times continue, ISEE looks to a future of growth, excellence, and stability, not only on campus but in the professional world as well. I am confident that we can reach all of our goals and that ISEE will be an astounding club for many years to come. Thank you- Kyle Karably ISEE President
Mine Rescue Team news and notes
Mine Rescue Team competing in Vancouver this past year
Mining engineering student groups
For more information, visit mines.edu or contact us at Mining@Mines.edu
ISEE Student Chapter Update
This February, students from the Colorado School of Mines Mine Rescue Team (CSMMRT) travelled to Vancouver, Canada to compete in the first Canadian International Student Mine Rescue Competition hosted by the University of British Columbia. Team members Jared Mullins, CJ Kaufman, Jaume Martinez Calvo, Avery Schilt, Zach Ogden, Martina Gilbert and Sarah Vanhook were excited to make connections with international collegiate mine rescue teams and industry professionals throughout the event. The competition itself included first aid, firefighting, technician, underground, and written sections. CSMMRT placed second in the first aid and underground divisions, in addition to earning second in the international competition’s cumulative final rankings. Overall, the team was able to demonstrate past training and gain new experience in each area. The team learned from industry professionals how to safely and efficiently use new mine rescue equipment in dynamic scenarios, and looks forward to coordinating with several new contacts while hosting and competing in future events. Since February the team has taken on a rebuilding and training phase. With less competitions and more time the team has dedicated the past few months to recruit new members and shape them for the competitions to come. We have also taken an initiative to restock our inventory and conduct any repairs. It is the officers goal to leave CSMMR with the proper tools and training to continue advancing and growing. Finally, we hope to attend the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Council competition in Loveland this summer and offer our new teams a chance to compete.
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More notes from undergraduate student representatives
The "Mining Seminar Series” at the Colorado School of Mines engages a diverse variety of experts, to introduce stimulating ideas connecting natural resources, nature, society, science, engineering and technology with the Mining industry. The Mining Seminar provides an accessible, inclusive and diverse virtual venue for the interested public, students, professionals, and accomplished experts for connecting and sharing exciting findings, case studies, and recent developments, in a broad range of topics that relate to mineral resources, mining and extractive metallurgy sectors. Every Wednesday afternoon from 4-5 PM MT, selected authorities in their respective fields join us for a 45-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute open discussion. During the 2020 Fall Semester, the Mining Seminar Series hosted 14 speakers from an array of fields. We would like to express our gratitude to Steve Enders, Corby Anderson, Carrie Middleton, Paul Mitchel, Satish Penmetsa, Veronica Eliasson, Brian Yureskes, Terry Braun, Levi Rawlings, Robert Cooke, Tom Struttmann, Lia Walker, Cory Stevens, and Rajesh Raitani without whom the Fall 2020 Mining Seminar Series would have not been possible. Our speakers gave fascinating insights into topics such as concepts of mineral processing, application of digital technology and automation, advancements in blasting processes and many case studies on overall mining process improvement.. In the Fall semester, The Mining Seminar Series has reached over 600 participants with academic, industry and government affiliations. To continue the seminar in a safe format during 2020, we adopted a video conferencing mode of delivery which helped engage a larger audience, from different parts of the world. To build a global reach of the Mining Seminar, we have a new web-presence and a YouTube Channel, in addition to implementing a stream-lined feedback process and a simple speaker application process. The Mining seminar was transformed from the Graduate Seminar in 2018 to a student led concept. It is currently organized by student team comprised of Lukas Fahle, Muthu Vinayak Thyagarajan and Claire Kincaid, supported from the department by Gretchen Wodniak and Dr. Steve Enders. In 2021, the team intends to work towards establishing a sponsored seminar series with the ability to host speakers from all over the globe at Mines campus. Please reach out to mining@mines.edu to support us in this endeavor.
Mining Competition Team From President Ryan Coffin: The Intercollegiate Mining Competition Team is still practicing with plans to compete this March. With the 42nd Annual Mining Games being canceled this year, both the men’s and women’s teams are working hard to be strong competitors. As of now, multiple teams are planning on doing a virtual competition in the spring due. Teams are practicing three times a week (while closely following all COVID safety guidelines) in events including jackleg drilling, survey, gold pan, hand steel, swede saw, trackstand, and mucking. For fall break this year, we hosted a “Mini Mining Games'' event where Mines students were able to participate in hand steeling, swede sawing, and gold panning. More outreach events are planned for the spring and we encourage everyone to join us. We anticipate moving to new practice grounds this Spring. This will allow for more accurate practices and more members. New members are welcome to join! Please follow our Instagram account minesminingteam for updates. Student Representatives From Sophomore Class Rep Isabel Govett: This past summer the Sophomore Class (Class of 2022) got to experience Mining Engineering Field Session. As Sophomore Class Representative, I chose expanding the department's social outreach as my goal for the Fall Semester. The Mining Department now has an Instagram in addition to its other social media accounts. Make sure to follow csm_mining! Women in Mining From President Martina Gilbert: The Colorado School of Mines Women in Mining Chapter hosted several events during the fall semester. The chapter’s membership has steadily increased to approximately 30 students. Prior to the first fall career fair, CSM hosted the Denver Women in Mining Chapter. Students were invited to bring their resume for a critique from members of the industry. The Denver Women in Mining Chapter offered constructive criticism for all resumes presented on an individual level. The Colorado School of Mines Women in Mining Chapter also held a joint meeting with Denver Women in Mining in October to mentor students in their search for internships and full time employment. Members of industry aided students as they prepared to engage with employers. The workshop focused on how students can know their value beyond their degree, how to demonstrate this value to potential employers, and how to use these skills to negotiate future salaries and multiple job offers. The Colorado School of Mines Women in Mining Chapter will continue to hold resume building and review workshops for all mining students prior to career fairs. The COVID-19 pandemic did halt several additional events that were planned for the year, and they have been postponed until the 2021-2022 academic year.
student group updates
Mining Seminar Series Speakers for Fall 2020
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Mining Seminar Series
Edgar Mine Classroom
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 15
Dr. Corby Anderson Dr. Kadri Dagdelen Dr. H. Sebnem Duzgun Dr. Veronica Eliasson Dr. Linda Figueroa Ms. Barbara Filas Dr. Elizabeth Holley Dr. Rennie Kaunda Dr. Hugh Miller Dr. Masami Nakagawa Dr. Priscilla Nelson Mr. Robert Reeves Dr. Robin Bullock Dr. Jamal Rostami Dr. Nicole Smith Mr. Erik Spiller Dr. Patrick Taylor Dr. Gabriel Walton
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While 2020 presented many obstacles, our faculty continued with research and instruction.
Dr. M. Stephen Enders, Department Head | Dr. Jurgen Brune, Associate Department Head
Veronica Eliasson
H. Sebnem Duzgun
While 2020 was a historic year for the challenges we have faced at this institution and globally, my team has nevertheless persevered and conquered the trials set before us. Much of this year was devoted to significant projects that were funded in 2019 through various sources. My research team published 16 research papers and has conducted research on dozens of topics. My graduate student Gurbet Gurkan earned her M.Sc. degree. The post-doc researcher Dr. Hilal Soydan has completed her research and returned to her country. Hakan Ayaz, Fatih Aranoglu, Sterling Loza, and Muhammad Pratama have recently joined my team as graduate students. Ph.D. students Natalia Soares Rodrigues, Cansu Perdeli Demirkan, Doga Cagdas Demirkan, Ergin Isleyen, Jaime Moraga, Mehmet Ali Akyol have continued their research significant achievements. Cansu Perdeli and Ergin Isleyen were selected as SRK scholars. Cansu Perdeli was also awarded SME`s WAAIME Scholarship. Patrick Meier, master’s student in mining engineering; Clemens Rainer, PhD student in petroleum engineering has developed a unique approach to tailings repurposing at Henderson Mine. With the help of Dr. Nicole Smith, Dr. Tulay Flamand, and Ph.D. students, five MURF students have joined my team and have been a great asset to our research. I have continued to deliver the undergraduate senior design courses, and have expanded the professional master’s program by developing several new courses. In all of my courses, I aim to equip students with the skills needed to find success in today’s industry. I have continued my service in numerous committees both at Mines and in professional organizations. I was deeply honored to be chosen as one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining 2020. My entire team looks forward to the opportunities that 2021 will afford to us and the successes we may enjoy as a result.
Prof. Eliasson joined Mines in the summer of 2020, and what an adventure this last year has been! Even though the pandemic effectively slowed down hands-on work and experiments, Prof. Eliasson was able to quickly build up their research lab here at Mines with the help of a hardworking group of talented Mines Undergraduate and Master Students — thank you all for your help! Now, we look forward to a semester full of experimentation on blast waves, dynamic fracture of composites, and 3D printed explosives. At the same time, we are very happy to see that Mines Explosives Research Laboratory at Edgar Mine is back in business. Please reach out if you are interested in working with us or have questions about our work. Stay well!
Mining engineering FACULTY PERSPECTIVES
Jurgen Brune
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 17
Mining Engineering Department Faculty
Jurgen continues his research on the prevention of mine fires and explosions. Together with Dr. Greg Bogin, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Jürgen built a large-scale gas explosion reactor at the Edgar Mine. The tube is 100 ft long and has a diameter of 28 inches. Researchers use the reactor to study the propagation of methane-air explosion through rock rubble and other obstacles such as mining equipment. Obstacles accelerate the explosions and increase their pressure. The reactor is the largest such facility in the United States and was built with funding from the Alpha Foundation. In a project funded by CDC NIOSH, Drs. Brune and Bogin have built a 1-in-40 scaled model of a longwall coal mine. This model is used to study the ventilation and gas flow in and around the longwall mining face to prevent repeats of the devastating Upper Big Branch mine explosion in 2010 that killed 29 miners. Jürgen also collaborates with Dr. Candace Tsai at UCLA on research to prevent respiratory diseases among mine workers, particularly diseases related to inhalation of silica dust and ultrafine dust particles. In collaboration with Drs. Sebnem Duzgun, Nicole Smith and researchers at the Technical University “Georg Agricola” in Bochum, Germany, Jürgen works on technical and societal aspects of mine closures, including using remote sensing, data analytics, as well as virtual and augmented reality visualization technologies.
Rennie Kaunda
Priscilla Nelson
Nicole Smith
What an unprecedented year 2020 has been! During spring 2020, we had to switch the offering of Introduction to Mining and Rock slope engineering to a remote setting due to the outbreak of Covid19, and I couldn’t be more proud of how our students adapted. Consequently, we could not take the students on field trips which they typically enjoy. In terms of research, this was a productive year from my research group and collaborators including the following publications: Environmental impacts of lithium mining; Blast Design for Improved Productivity using a Modified Available Energy Method; Assessing changes in student knowledge and attitudes in mining, petroleum, and electrical engineering; A hybrid paretosearch algorithm and goal attainment method for maximizing production and reducing blast-induced ground vibration; and Role of localized elevated pore pressures and strain localization mechanisms in slope stability problems. In addition, I gave invited talks to the Vale Institute of Technology and the Extractive Metallurgy Chapter of Denver (EMCD). I also got awarded as a Fellow of the African Scientific Institute (ASI), and an invitation to join the board of a journal on hydrology as an Associate Editor. In 2021, I plan to teach Introduction to Mining, Rock Slope Engineering, and Mining the Environment. Hopefully things will return to normal in 2021 for everyone! In addition to my classes, professional service, and departmental and university committee responsibilities, I continue supervising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Please stay healthy, enjoy the holidays, and feel free to stay in touch through email or other means. So until next year – best wishes to all!
Despite a challenging year, our research group has been productive and making the best of our new normal. First, congratulations to our group members who graduated! Isabel Casasbuenas Cabezas received her MS in Mining Engineering and Rosalie O’Brien received her MS in Environmental Engineering. They were both funded for their graduate studies by our National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project on Responsible Mining, Resilient Communities that focuses on artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Peru and Colombia. We have been making progress on our NSF funded project: Mapping, Modeling, and Optimizing the Disruption of Illicit Gold Supply Chains in Peru. Although we were not able to travel to Peru, we strengthened our collaborations with Peruvian organizations. We also welcomed PhD student Linda Jaramillo Urrego to our group! On the teaching front, I offered my graduate class Sustainable Development and Earth Resources remotely this past fall in collaboration with Virginia Tech and the Universidad Nacional in Medellin, Colombia. Students from six different countries and seven different time zones joined this class. It was a remarkable experience to have such dedicated students bringing their unique perspectives--some of them were joining the class in the middle of the night! This collaboration represents one of the opportunities of the (forced) turn to remote learning in higher education. In December, we presented a webinar to the Society of Mining Professors (SOMP) that highlighted this course and the format titled, Integration of Sustainable Development into Mining Engineering Curricula. Please feel free to contact me if you would like a copy of the slide deck that was presented. Please reach out anytime and check out our website to learn more and stay updated on our activities: resourcesandcommunities.mines.edu.
2020 was a breakout year for the Professional Masters in Mining Engineering and Management (MP-MEM) Program which Rob Reeves and I co-manage. Our first cohort of students started taking MP-MEM courses in January 2019 as non-degree-seeking graduate students on faith that Mines would timely receive its accreditation to grant multiple degrees in a fully online format, including MP-MEM. Mines received that accreditation in June this year and our first cohort of students are well on their way to receiving the first MP-MEM degrees in the summer of 2021. Meanwhile, we started a second cohort in August and expect to kick off a third in January 2021. While the pandemic profoundly changed the learning modes for most Mines students, it had virtually no effect on the MP-MEM, because all our courses are offered exclusively online. As a Professor of Practice, I taught my Environmental and Social Responsibility course in the fall and will be teaching it again in January, followed by Mine Design and Operation Planning which I will co-teach with Mines alumnus Neil Prenn in March. Outside Mines, I sit on the Board of Directors for Energy Fuels Inc. and the newly formed Austin Gold Corp., and continue to serve as Nominations Chair and Chair of the Board of Governors for the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. I wish you all the best and a COVID-free 2021.
Mining Engineering Department Newsletter 19
Dr. Elizabeth Holley was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor this year, and her work continues to bridge the gap between geoscience and mining. She recently stepped into the role of Site Director for the CASERM NSF-funded Industry/University Collaborative Research Center, which is actively recruiting industry members to drive the research agenda for innovation in mineral exploration and mining: caserm.mines.edu. Dr. Holley's current group comprises 6 PhD students, a post-doctoral fellow, and an undergraduate student, and the team's work spans the mining lifecycle: mininggeologyresearch.mines.edu She's also working on a campus-wide initiative promoting innovation across the mining value chain to meet the mineral demands of the low-carbon energy future. Please be in touch if you'd like to know more!
I have had the privilege of working with Barb Filas and other dedicated professionals at Mines as a co-manager of the Professional Masters in Mining Engineering and Management program from its inception in 2017. We are looking forward to seeing our first cohort of students graduate this summer after completing 13 courses that provide the skills necessary to manage mines and take leadership roles in the mineral industry. As a Professor of Practice, I teach the Capstone project course (MNGN 598) in the program and assist our staff develop and present their courses. I bring more than 45 years experience since graduation from Mines in 1973. Students benefit as I share my work as a laborer, engineer, and supervisor in underground and surface coal mines, and manager of a control systems department, and principal engineer who developed new mineral processes and methods to recycle scrap plastic. They expand their appreciation for diversity as I share my interactions with people all over the world. Mines has offered me the opportunity to extend the department’s educational services abroad. Our team developed graduate courses for the Nazarbayev University and assessed educational and research needs for mining professionals the Middle East and North Africa. We continue to look for opportunities to bring Mines’ educational experience to South America and elsewhere. I continue to learn from both my students and consultancy engagements and am eager to help make this year a rewarding time for students in and out of the classrooms at Mines.
Elizabeth Holley
18 MINING.Mines.edu
My first sabbatical means I will have the time and energy to act on my desire for intellectual engagement. I will work on important issues of interest to me, and plan to make contributions that move the associated professions forward: The Tailings Center is established, the short course/certificate program is planned, the LEAP HI NSF proposal is submitted, industry calls interested in Mines programs, we are interviewed by the media, and we are writing papers. I will continue to contribute and keep the pressure to move forward, and I will be developing a new online graduate course in tailings and mine waste management. Underground construction: the UCTE certificate program starts in January and I am committed to develop a Professional Masters Program for UCTE industry, and to make progress in understanding and predicting the spatial variability of geologic conditions and their impacts. I will also begin to record Oral Histories from industry senior leaders. Round Tables: this spring I will create a series of virtual Round Table programs on a) Mining Engineering education, b) Tailings research needs, and c) Underground Urbanism. The world is invited! Anyone who has ideas, or who would like a conversation or visit during 2021–let me know!
Robert Reeves
Barbara Filas