ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (June 15, 2016)—The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) and the SME Foundation have announced the recipients of the 2016 Ph.D. Fellowship and Academic Career Development Grants. The program initiative focuses on rebuilding the U.S. mining school faculty pipeline to address the decline of viable tenure-track candidates at universities offering degrees in mining engineering, mineral processing or extractive metallurgy.
“The challenges associated with faculty scarcity extend from the ability of students with industry experience to successfully complete a Ph.D. degree, to newly employed faculty who are facing the difficult process of achieving tenure,” said SME Executive Director David L. Kanagy. “To address these challenges, SME and the SME Foundation are proud to award Ph.D. Fellowship and Career Development Grants to ensure the future viability of U.S. mining schools.”
Recipients of the 2016 mining academic grants are:
Freeport-McMoRan Career Development Grant:
• Dr. Andrea J. Brickey – Associate Professor, Mining Engineering & Management, South Dakota School of Mines
• Dr. Charles K. Kocsis – Associate Professor, Mining & Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nevada-Reno
Robert S. Shoemaker Ph.D. Fellowship Grant:
• Gail L. Heath – Mining Engineering, University of Arizona
Ph.D. Fellowship Grants funded from other sources:
• Richard M. LaDouceur – Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, Montana Tech
• Penny L. Padgett – Mining Engineering, University of Kentucky
The grant recipients will each receive:
• Academic Career Development Grant: $100,000 per year for a maximum of three years: provides assistant or associate professors with support toward achieving tenure and promotion.
• Ph.D. Fellowship Grant: $60,000 per year for a maximum of four years: provides support to students with industry experience and a desire to pursue an academic career with the means to acquire a doctoral degree.
The 2017 grant application period is Dec. 1, 2016, through Jan. 31, 2017.