Category: Awards

Celebrating Excellence in Teaching: Luke Bowman Recognized for Spring 2026

The strength of the GMES Department lies in its community, and this spring we’re proud to celebrate one of our own for his continued impact as an educator and mentor.

Please join us in congratulating Luke Bowman as one of only 54 instructors across Michigan Technological University to receive an exceptional “Average of 7 Dimensions” student evaluation score for Spring Semester 2026.

Congratulations, Spring & Summer 2026 Graduates!

GMES Students at Commencement. Wearing their black MTU cap and gowns.
GMES Students at Commencement

GMES is proud to announce and celebrate the accomplishments of our Spring & Summer 2026 graduates. These dedicated students have conducted research, completed rigorous coursework, and made meaningful contributions to our academic community. Their hard work and perseverance have prepared them to take the next step as professionals and researchers in the fields of geosciences, mining, and engineering. Please join us in congratulating the following graduate students:

Celebrating GMES Alumna Sienna Meekhof: 2026 AIPG Early Career Professional Award Recipient

Sienna Meekhof performing Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) is proud to congratulate alumna Sienna Meekhof (Geology, 2021) on receiving the 2026 AIPG John Stewart Memorial Early Career Professional Award, a prestigious national honor recognizing outstanding early career geologists who demonstrate leadership, service, and a commitment to advancing the profession.

GMES Assistant Professor Daisy Ning Receives Research Excellence Fund Seed Grant

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) is proud to recognize Dr. Yanrui “Daisy” Ning, who was selected as a Fall 2025 Research Excellence Fund (REF) Seed Grant recipient by Michigan Tech’s Vice President for Research Office. Daisy joined the GMES faculty in Fall 2025 as an Assistant Professor and has quickly begun building a strong research program focused on advancing digital sensing and modeling approaches for subsurface engineering and mining applications.

Dr. Yanrui (Daisy) Ning
Dr. Yanrui (Daisy) Ning

Dr. Ning’s project “Fiber-Optic Signatures of Stress and Seepage in Underground Critical-Mineral Mines” supports the development of new approaches for improving monitoring and safety in underground critical-mineral mines. By combining advanced modeling techniques with fiber-optic sensing technologies, her work aims to improve how deformation and water-related hazards are detected and interpreted in underground environments.

The REF Seed Grant will help Dr. Ning establish a strong foundation for future externally funded research and expand GMES research capacity in areas such as digital mining, sustainable subsurface engineering, and resilient infrastructure. The project will also provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, helping prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists.

The GMES community congratulates Daisy Ning on this achievement and looks forward to her continued success at Michigan Tech. Dr. Ning’s work aligns closely with Michigan Tech’s Tech Forward 2.0 priorities, including sustainability, resilient infrastructure, and responsible development of critical mineral resources. It also reflects GMES’s continued commitment to integrating advanced computational tools and sensing technologies into mining and geoscience education and research.

The GMES community congratulates Daisy Ning on this well-earned recognition and looks forward to the impact of her work as she continues to grow her research program at Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech’s “School of Minds” Team Advances to Final Phase of National Mine Design Competition

The School of Minds team members (left to right): Bryce Baar, Soren Olsen, Lucas Maxon, Joseph Steinl, and John Bellman.
The School of Minds team members (left to right): Bryce Baar, Soren Olsen, Lucas Maxon, Joseph Steinl, and John Bellman.

Michigan Tech’s student team from the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES), known as School of Minds, has advanced to the top six teams nationally in Phase 2 of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME)/National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Student Design Competition. This achievement places the team among a select group of top-performing programs across the country in a highly competitive national field.