The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) and the SME Foundation named the recipients of the 2017 Ph.D. Fellowship and the Academic Career Development Grants.
According to SME, the objective of the grant program is to help rebuild the mining school faculty pipeline. The program grants include the Academic Career Development Grant, which provides $100,000 per year for a maximum of three years, as well as the Ph.D. Fellowship Grant, which provides $60,000 per year for a maximum of four years. The following individuals received grants:
- Shimin Liu, assistant professor of mining engineering at Penn State, and Catherine Johnson, assistant professor of mining engineering at Missouri S&T, won the Freeport-McMoRan Career Development Grants.
- Shane Lee of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology won the Shoemaker Ph.D. Fellowship Grant.
- Heather Lammers of the Colorado School of Mines won the McIntosh Ph.D. Fellowship Grant.
- Danielle Rocha of the Colorado School of Mines won the Ph.D. Fellowship Grant funded by other sources.
“The long-term challenges that threaten the viability of U.S. mining schools and the looming workforce shortage are of utmost importance to the entire mining community,” says David Kanagy, SME executive director. “To address these challenges, SME and the SME Foundation are proud to award these grants to ensure the sustainability of U.S. mining schools and their faculty. We offer our congratulations to these dedicated industry educators.”
According to SME, the 2018 grant application period runs Dec. 1, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2018.
