Geological and Mining Engineering and Science News

Tag: alumni

Congratulations Spring 2023 Graduates!

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It takes a lot of hard work, determination, and sacrifice to complete a college degree, and you have done it. Congratulations on your achievement!

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences offers our sincerest congratulations on your well-deserved success! This is a momentous occasion and a testament to your dedication and perseverance. You should feel proud of your accomplishments and the bright future that awaits you.

Doctorate of Philosophy Degrees Awarded


Bartel, Beth Ph.D. Geology, Advised by Greg Waite
@eatthecrust

Chakrapani Lekha, Vishnu Ph.D. Geological Engineering, Advised by Thomas Oommen

Ewing, Jordan Ph.D., Computational Science, and Engineering, Advised by Thomas Oommen

Master of Science Degrees Awarded

Anderla, Madeline MS Geological Engineering, Advised by Luke Bowman

Barth, Elana  MS Geology, Advised by Chad Deering
She is joining AECOM in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Eshwar Reddy Sirigiri, Dharmasai  MS Mining Engineering, Advised by Snehamoy Chatterjee

Gamet, Nolan MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff

Kaminski, Caleb  MS Geophysics, Advised by Aleksey Smirnov
He is joining PND Engineers in Anchorage, Alaska.

Langfield, Katherine MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff

Lizzadro-McPherson, Daniel  MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff
He is working as a geospatial research scientist at the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech.

Ricchio-Hitchcock, Evan  MS Geological Engineering, Advised by Snehamoy Chatterjee
He is joining Colliers Engineering & Design in Charlotte, North Carolina as a geotechnical engineer.

Rivera-Gonzalez, Paola  MS Geology, Advised by Luke Bowman 

Bachelor of Science Degrees Awarded

Anderson, Cole  BS Mining Engineering
Carley, Michael  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Riverside Energy in Michigan as a production engineer. 
Carpenter, Kolby  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Coleman Engineering as a geotechnical engineer.
Donajkowski, Clay  BS Mining Engineering
Doud, Quin  BS Geology, He is joining the Affordable Housing Development.
Gabriel, Aidan BS Applied Geophysics, He is joining RS&H in Asheville, North Carolina, working as a CEI inspector. 
Goecker, Addison  BS Applied Geophysics, She is continuing her education, accepting a full scholarship to the University of Utah’s Graduate School.
Klein, Peter  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining  Geoengineers in Springfield, MO, doing geotech work on pipeline projects.
Maxon, Jake  BS Mining Engineering, He is joining Pogo Mine in Alaska to work as an underground mining engineer.
Ojala, Grace  BS Applied Geophysics, She is continuing her education at the University of Denver for an MA program in archeology.
Searl, Jared  BS Geological Engineering
Max Stange  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Freeport-McMoRan’s Chino Mine to work as a geomechanical engineer.

Undergraduate advisors: John Gierke, Jeremy Shannon, Nathan Manser, and Snehamoy Chatterjee

Take a moment to reflect on all you have accomplished and to thank those who have supported you along the way.

Congratulations again to the graduates, and best wishes for a bright and successful future!

Photo gallery

Evan Ricchio-Hitchcock
Grace Ojala
Jake Maxon
Addison Goecker
Aidan Gabriel
Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson
Max Stange
Elana Barth
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GMES Mining Engineering Program Successful at the Annual SME Conference & Expo

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GMES Mining Engineering Program Successful at the Annual SME Conference & Expo

After a two-year pandemic hiatus for in-person meetings, the mining engineering faculty and students came back stronger than ever to the 2022 Annual Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Conference & Expo. Held in Salt Lake City, from February 27, through March 2, 2022, GMES faculty and students had a great time presenting their research, receiving awards, and connecting with alumni.

We thank the Richard Saccany Mining Program Fund, the Robert Hendricks Mining Endowment Fund, and all our friends who contributed to the Mining and Material Processing Engineering Fund. These financial contributions made it possible to support the travel for a large group of students to obtain first-hand exposure to the most recent advances in mining engineering research and practice, network with industry professionals, and explore future career paths.

Research Presentations


Associate Professor and a Witte Family Faculty Fellow, Snehamoy Chatterjee, delivered two oral presentations:

  • Development of Machine Learning Models for Identifying Mining Injury Risk Factors Using Leading Indicators (co-authored by Pooja M, Aref Majdara, Hugh Miller, and Rennie Kaunda
  • PixelMPS: A Python Toolbox for Multiple-Point Geostatistics (co-authored by Karthik Menon, Poorva Kadroli, and Adel Asadi)

Dr. Chatterjee’s MS student, David Porter, delivered an oral presentation:

  • Utilization of Geostatistical Methods to Estimate Localized Cemented Rock Fill Strength in Underground Mass Placements

Dr. Chatterjee’s MS student, Dharmasai Eshwar Reddy Sirigiri, presented a poster:

  • An Entropy-based Risk Index (ERI) of Mining Health and Safety using Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms

The GMES support group at Dharmasai’s poster is pictured from left to right: David Porter, Emily Street, Poorva Kadrolli, Dharmasai Eshar Reddy Sirigiri, Cade Johnson, Ian Gannon, Jake Maxon, and Dr. Nathan Manser.


Recognitions


Dr. Nathan Manser, a Professor of Practice in mining engineering, and Emily Street, a senior in mining engineering, were recognized for their achievements.

Dr. Nathan Manser received the Robert W. Piekarz award that recognizes exceptional service to the Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division for work related to managing technical session content for the annual conference.

Emily Street received two academic awards: the SMEF/MMSA Presidential Scholarship, which recognizes excellent academic performance in a minerals engineering-related field. The Gerald V. Henderson Memorial Scholarship supports students who express a special interest in career paths that align with industrial minerals and aggregates industries. Emily was also invited to present a talk related to her internship experience with Lafarge-Holcim during the Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division luncheon.

Alumni Connections


As part of the week-long activities at SME, the GMES department hosted an alumni engagement event at Gracie’s Gastropub on Sunday night. About 45 people attended and participated in the two-hour social event. Alumni, hailing from several MTU departments and coming from classes in the mid-1980s through our most recent graduates, were in attendance and truly demonstrated the vast network, especially in the geoscience and minerals industries. Also in attendance were a few members of the Industrial Advisory Board for Mining Engineering at MTU who came to rekindle some meaningful connections with students and alumni alike. Overall, everyone had a great time, and plans for the event next February in Denver are already underway!

Fun


The MTU Student Chapter of SME participated in the Komatsu Student Night at the conference, a 1920’s themed event with over 300 attendees from schools worldwide. The highlight of the evening was a quiz-bowl competition between the schools based on materials handling calculations, where students from MTU placed second in the event.

Pictured left to right: Dharmasai Eshwar Reddy Sirigiri, Cade Johnson, Jake Maxon, Ian Gannon, Poorva Kadrolli, Matthew Portfleet, Nathan Johnson, Emily Street.


Other SME Activities


The MTU Director of Mine Safety, Matt Portfleet, joined by mine safety trainers Marisa Roerig and Ron Gradowski, also attended the conference. Marisa and Matt both enrolled in and took the Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) exam after partaking in a 3-day CMSP review course. They both passed!

Emily Street pictured with Immersive Virtual Reality
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Congratulations, Huskies! Check Out This List of 53 GMES Graduates

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New alumni can get connected to mentors and more on the Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends network: https://www.mtu.edu/alumni

Makala Elana and Breeanne with AIPG scrolls
Makala, Elana, and Breeanne, 2021 graduates

This year, graduating Huskies took part in a festive outdoor celebration. The graduation walk for the Classes of 2021 and 2020 through campus on April 30 was such a tremendously great time, we hope it can become a new tradition. It was a blue-sky, picture-perfect day we’ll never forget.

GMES 2020-21 Degrees Granted

Summer 2021
BS EGE Caleb Kaminski
BS EGE Donelle Auten
BS EGE Makala O’Donnell
BS EGE Anderla, Maddy M.
MS EGL Pauline Verdurme
Spring 2021
BS EGE Heusdens, Breeanne M.
BS EGL Barth, Elana G.
BS EMG Neely, Benjamin A.
MS EGE Iuliia Tcibulnikova
MS EGL Sophie Mueller
PHD EGL Olivia Barbee
Fall 2020
BS EGE Abigail P. Friedl
BS EGE Dustin R. Helmer
MS EGE Ian O. Nichols
MS EGE Katelyn Elizabeth Kring
MS EGE Kelsey Anne Kirkland
MS EGL Celine Mei-An Carus
MS EGL Claudia Buondonno
MS EGL David Jokob Kelly
MS EGL Davide Saviano
MS EGL Evan Robert Lanese
MS EGL Heather Thole
MS EGL Robert Matthew Booth
MS EGL Roberto Cuahutemoc Armijo
MS EGL Roberto Piemontese
MS EGP Adam Bautzmann
MS EGP Erdi Apatay
MS EGP Katie E. Bristol
MS EGP Martine Hope Loevaas
MS EGP Mohamed Mahmoud Shawky Abuzaied Mohamed
MS EMG Adel Asadi
PHD EGE Chandan Kumar
PHD EGP Haitao Cao
PHD EMG Amol Paithankar
Summer 2020
BS EAG Eric Oliveira
BS EMG Garrett J. Singer
MS EGE Joyata Yatinkumar Raval
Spring 2020
BS EAG Dayol Carvalho
BS EAG Fernando J. Chambole
BS EAG Janayna C. Manuel
BS EAG Max L. Douglas
BS EGE Allyson M. Hartz
BS EGE Arie P. Ruiter
BS EGE Bobby G. Hirvi
BS EGE Ginny E. Hemmila
BS EGE Ian M. Gannon
BS EGE Steve E. Wright
BS EGE Tucker T. Scoville
BS EGL Evelyn T. Jobe
BS EGL James D. Yiu
BS EMG Drake D. Wilson
BS EMG Shawn M. Vandoorn
MS EGL Sentle Augustinus Hlajoane

“There is no doubt that through your hard work, tenacity, and perseverance, you have earned all of the rights and privileges that come with a degree from Michigan Tech.”

President Rick Koubek
Experience some highlights from the Graduation Walk!

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GMES 2020-21 Student Awards and Recognitions

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The 2020-21 Academic Year brought the following student achievements to GMES:

Grace Ojala receiving AIPG awardGrace Ojala receives American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) National Scholarship – Congratulations to Grace Ojala (Applied Geophysics), who was awarded a prestigious American Institute of Professional Geologists National Scholarship! Grace pursues a double major in Applied Geophysics and Anthropology, working towards a career that utilizes geophysics to advance archaeology. In addition to her excellent academic standing, Grace is actively involved in several research projects, including a satellite data processing project (supervised by AssociateProfessor Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee) supported by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium. The award was presented in person by Bill Mitchell, the president of the Michigan Section of AIPG.

Grace Ojala also received a prestigious scholarship from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). The competitive SEG scholarships are based on merit and have been awarded to students all over the world to encourage the study of geophysics and related geosciences.

Emilie Pray – 2021 Department Scholar Award – Congratulations to Emilie Pray (BS Geology), who received a 2021 GMES Department Scholar Award to recognize her scholarly achievements! This award, presented to a student entering their senior year, recognizes one who best represents student scholarship in the department by participating in research or scholarly activities, demonstrating a high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and showing excellent communication skills. Emilie participates in research led by Associate Professor Dr. Chad Deering on deciphering a complex geological history of the central-eastern UP using petrological and geochemical data.

Congratulations to the recipients of Michigan Space Grant Consortium grants:
Diana Bullen (MS), Using a Biologically Enhanced Silica Recovery System to Retrieve Valuable Non-Renewable Resources from Waste Material (advisor: Dr. Nathan Manser)
Ian Gannon (MS), Critical Mineral Potential in the Vulcan Quadrangle and Adjoining Areas, Dickinson County, Upper Peninsula of Michigan (advisor: Dr. James DeGraff)
Brock Howell (MS), Effective Optimization of Groundwater Extraction Through the Development of Computational Tools (advisor: Dr. John Gierke)
Ryan Klida (MS), Satellite Based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Techniques for Earth Dam Monitoring and Failure Prediction (advisor: Dr. Thomas Oommen)
Katie Nelson (Ph.D.), Measuring CO2 fertilization of tropical forests from volcanic soil gas emissions using remote sensing: Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica (advisor: Dr. Chad Deering)
Kassidy O’Connor (MS), Using Satellite Aperture Radar to Improve Wildfire-Causing Debris Flow Mapping on the West Coast (advisor: Dr. Thomas Oommen)

Congratulations to the recipients of these additional awards and recognitions:
Beth Bartel (Ph.D.) – Smithsonian Institution Fellowship–Robert D. Hevey, Jr. Ten-Week Graduate Student Fellow in Mineral Sciences at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Project title, “Reconstructing Disaster: An Analysis of Digital Communications During Volcanic Crises.”
Natalea Cohen (MS) – National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Internship with the USGS Volcano Science Center. (Summer 2021)
Cristhian Salas (MS) – Outstanding Graduate Student Scholar (Spring 2021)
Nelmary Rodriguez (MS) – Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award (Spring 2020); Outstanding Graduate Student Scholar (Fall 2020)
Jordan Ewing (Ph.D.) – Won first place at the 2020 3MT Competition with his presentation, “Terrain Traversing: X Marks the Spot,” in addition to winning the People’s Choice Award. (Fall 2020)  Jordan also received an outstanding achievement certificate from the U.S. Army DEVCOM Analytics division. (Spring 2021)
Elana Barth (BS Geology) – Ishpeming Rock and Mineral Club Annual Earth Science Award (Spring 2021)
Chandan Kumar (Ph.D.) – Outstanding Scholarship Award (Fall 2020)
Beth Bartel (Ph.D.) – Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award (Fall 2020)
Amol Paithankar (Ph.D.) – Outstanding Scholar Award (Spring 2020)
Katie Nelson (MS) – Outstanding Teaching Award (Spring 2020)

Congratulations from all of the faculty and staff in GMES!

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2017 American Geophysical Union HONORS Program Recognizes a GMES Alumna

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An alumna of GMES is one of seventy-five distinguished scientists to receive the distinction from groups representing their disciplines within the American Geophysical Union.

Lauren N. Schaefer, University of Canterbury, is a recipient of the 2017 Natural Hazards Focus Group Award for Graduate Research. Lauren earned her Ph.D. in Geological Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2016 under the advising of Dr. Thomas Oommen.

Congrats, Lauren! We’re all cheering for your continued success. 

https://eos.org/agu-news/2017-agu-section-and-focus-group-awardees-and-named-lecturers

 

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Michigan Tech Students Win First Place in National Mining Competition

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The National Mining Competition announced the three winners from the 2013 event. First place Michigan Tech, second place University of British Columbia, and third place Edwards School of Business.

The winning Michigan Tech Mining team, “the fabulous four,” was Cora Hemmila, Matthew Younger, Matthew Schuman and Matthew Schwalen. The team advisor is James Murray Gillis, Instructor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Director, Mine Safety and Health Training Program.

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Alumni Jim Wark Awarded Aerial Photographer of the Year 2012

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Jim Wark has been honored for the third time by Aerial Photographers Association. He is a Michigan Tech Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences graduate with a BS in both geological engineering and mining engineering  in 1954 and is a member of the Academy (2006).
The Professional Aerial Photographers Association International (PAPA) is pleased to announce that Jim Wark of Pueblo, CO has been selected to receive the 2012 EPSON Aerial Photographer of the Year award.
Each year, this award is presented to one PAPA member who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to aerial photography, based on the following criteria:
•Continuous excellence in aerial photography
•In the public eye via books, exhibits, lectures, publications
•Long term service to PAPA and its members

“Jim was the outstanding candidate for the award,” said Chuck Boyle, president of PAPA. “In addition to his extraordinary body of aerial photography work in the public eye, he is also a generous contributor of guidance and inspiration to the membership of PAPA.”
“On behalf of the PAPA membership and the entire PAPA Board of Directors, we congratulate Jim on this award.”
This year Jim has published his 9th book of his aerial photography, Leave No Trace, The Vanishing North American Wilderness. Additionally, five of his aerial images were selected for the new United States Postal Service “forever” postage stamps scheduled to be released in October of this year.
“My life’s work has been in aviation and earth sciences,” said Jim. “Combining these interests with an inherited instinct for photography has fulfilled my deepest ambition.”
“I am forever grateful to my wife, Judy, who gave me the unconditional support to wander the sky at will and to PAPA for providing the inspiration, assistance and camaraderie to get the job done. This award and the EPSON award of 2006 are among my most cherished achievements.”
This is the second time Jim has been honored for his work by PAPA with this award having been named the Aerial Photographer of the year in 2006, the first year it was awarded. He was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by PAPA in 2005.
Jim Wark owns Airphoto (www.airphotona.com) in Pueblo, CO. During his 59 years as an aviator and 24 years of aerial photography, Jim has amassed a collection of more than 100,000 stock aerial images from Alaska and Hawaii, across America and Canada and to as far south as Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. His website offers more than 15,000 images online meticulously key-worded for the serious photo buyer. In addition to his books, Jim’s aerials have been published in textbooks, calendars, posters and magazines worldwide.

The Epson Aerial Photographer of the Year award, a commemorative etched crystal eagle, was presented at the PAPA International Annual Conference on March 4, 2012 which took place near Miami, FL. The award is sponsored by Epson and Logix of Michigan, sellers of Epson and other professional printers & printing supplies.
PAPA is a professional trade organization, whose members are aerial photographers throughout the world. The association’s goal is that of an educational group, dedicated to the promotion of high business ethics and helping members to provide quality service and products through shared experience. www.PAPAinternational.org

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