South Dakota Governor
Kristi Noem signs legislation that includes $19 million in funding for a new
Mineral Industries Building on the South Dakota Mines campus. Photo Credit: Ben
Koisti.
South
Dakota Mines is on the cusp of a new and bright future in the mineral
industries core disciplines of geological, metallurgical, and mining engineering.
This is thanks to the state legislature and Governor Kristi Noem, who just
approved $19 million in public funding for the construction of a new
state-of-the-art Mineral Industries Building on the Mines campus. The new
facility will advance the future of science, engineering, and technology while
increasing environmental stewardship and catalyzing economic development in the
region.
The
modern research spaces and classrooms will lead to new discoveries, spur
creation of new high-tech companies, and help attract new employers to the area
while educating the next generation of innovators.
Here
are a few examples of exciting research currently under way in these
disciplines:
- Public-private partnerships are being leveraged
in a new multidisciplinary entity called the Mining Hub, which explores cutting-edge
technology such as autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, robotic
mining, and a new era of environmentally sustainable mining practices.
- Mines faculty and students are undertaking
research that could revolutionize the future of energy by tapping the massive
well of geothermal heat deep inside the earth as part of a study
at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in
Lead.
- New products and manufacturing methods are
being created from mined and recycled minerals with innovative research funded
by private industry, NASA, the DoD and the National Science Foundation.
“Thanks
to state leaders, we have an exciting opportunity in this new facility to
produce a large return on investment for both the public and private sector.
This facility will yield new research and spin-off companies alongside a new
crop of science and engineering innovators in multiple fields,” says Mines
President Jim Rankin.
State
Senator David Johnson authored the bill and served as the prime sponsor.
Senator Johnson is also a Mines alumnus, “It was an honor to work on this
legislation for my alma mater and for the state of South Dakota. Mines faculty
and administrators were key on bringing me up to speed on the critical issues
related to rare earth mining and its role in our own economic development and
our nation’s defense. This building will also help us retain high quality
scientists and engineers right here in South Dakota.”
Private
industry is lining up to capitalize on the opportunity. Caterpillar is
supporting the creation of a new laboratory at Mines to explore
state-of-the-art mining technology; this will include collaboration with
Western Dakota Tech and local industry. A new agreement with Caterpillar is
also exploring transforming part of SURF into an underground robotic mining
test facility. These developments have the potential to open frontiers in safe
and environmentally-sound mining practices pioneered right here in the Black
Hills.
Caterpillar
is one supporter of many. Industry leaders from Nucor and a wide range of other
companies are committing millions of dollars to this project because they
recognize the fantastic opportunities that evolve from collaboration with
Mines. A new Mineral Industries Building on campus not only provides these
companies with a highly skilled workforce, it also gives them a lead on
emerging technologies that will boost their bottom lines.
The
project is moving forward quickly. The new building
is expected to open in 2024.
For more information: sdsmt.edu/MI-Building