Nucor Corporation has provided South Dakota Mines with the largest corporate gift
in university history, totaling $5 million, to help fund a new mineral
industries building on campus.
Planning and survey work for the Nucor Mineral
Industries Building at South Dakota Mines is already underway. The new,
state-of-the-art building will advance the future of science, engineering, and
technology while increasing environmental stewardship and catalyzing economic
development in the region.
Nucor
is the
largest recycler and domestic steel producer in North America with the
broadest and most diversified offerings in the U.S. market. Nucor employs almost 30,000 teammates
at 25 steel mills and more than 300 facilities across North America.
“Generations of students will benefit from Nucor’s
investment in the future of South Dakota Mines,” says President Jim Rankin,
Ph.D. “This donation is not only good for our institution, but it also has a
big impact on the state of South Dakota, and it will benefit future scientists
and engineers across the entire nation.”
The modern research spaces and classrooms in the
Nucor Mineral Industries Building will enable new discoveries, spur creation of
new high-tech companies and help attract new employers to the area while
educating the next generation of innovators. The building will house the
Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, the Department of Mining
Engineering and Management and the Department of Materials and Metallurgical
Engineering.
“Partnerships
with educational institutions like South Dakota Mines are vital to the industry
and to Nucor. It is very important that we support the next generation of
metallurgists, engineers, and computer scientists,” said Dan Krug, VP/GM of talent
and technology. “Nucor has hired many skilled teammates from South Dakota Mines
that have gone on to do wonderful things within Nucor. We are excited to be a
part of this transformational space”
This major gift is not a first for Nucor. The
company has been a university partner for decades, consistently giving between
$20,000-$40,000 per year in support of Mines students and faculty, which
includes the Nucor Endowed Professorship. In addition, Nucor has provided
funding for a new student study area and is one of the top corporate sponsors
of university athletics, including funding for athletics scholarships.
Nucor is also a top recruiter of Mines graduates. The company has hired 64 graduates in the last 15
years and has offered valuable internships or co-ops to 81 students since 2013.
This gift is a major fundraising milestone in the
ongoing effort to raise $34 million for the Nucor Mineral Industries Building
at South Dakota Mines. The State of South Dakota has committed $19 million, and
the university has set aside $3 million toward the larger goal.