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RAPID CITY, S.D. (Dec. 5, 2012) – The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology will hold its 166th commencement at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center theater, awarding nearly 100 degrees to students.
Mines alumnus Senator Craig Tieszen will deliver the commencement address, sharing insight and advice gleaned from his illustrious career and experiences in public service. After studying chemical engineering and earning his own degree from the School of Mines in 1971 Tieszen taught high school science and math in Kenya for four years before returning to Rapid City to join the police department, where he ascended to the position of police chief.
Delivering the senior class representative’s message will be Ariel Granillo, of Chandler, Ariz., an industrial engineering and engineering management major with a minor in occupational health and safety. Granillo, a student-athlete and Mines Leadership Hall of Fame inductee, is an active member on the Mines campus and in the Rapid City community. Following graduation, she will begin a job as a manufacturing engineer with John Deere in Rock Valley, Iowa.
Acting President Duane Hrncir, PhD, will present five Distinguished Alumni awards to the following graduates who have made tremendous contributions to their professions and communities: Hwa-Young Michael Yeh, PhD; John W. Sibert III, PhD; Joseph Pekarek, PhD; Donn Lobdell, PhD; and Duane Huston.