Research Inquiries

For inquiries related to SD Mines Research, contact:

Research Affairs

S.D. School of Mines & Technology
501 E. St. Joseph Street
Suite 102, O'Harra Building
Rapid City, SD  57701

(605) 394-2493

Research@Mines

Research@Mines

Research at Mines happens every day of the year, involves faculty and students at every academic level, and frequently includes collaboration across the state, the nation and the globe.
SD Mines Researchers Explore Hydraulic Fracturing to Expand Geothermal Energy

SD Mines researchers believe fracking can also be used at depth in hard rocks that contain no oil or gas to improve geothermal energy production. The process could enhance the use of the earth’s own heat as a source of clean energy.  Hydraulic fracturing research at SURF uses no chemicals, so unlike some fossil fuel fracking operations, the fracking fluid used in these studies is water only. 

Mines Undergraduate Research at Sanford Lab

From physics experiments scouring the universe for rare event signatures to chemistry projects growing the world’s purest copper, experiments at Sanford Lab provide a unique learning environment. Here, undergraduate students work with experts from around the world, gaining valuable real-world experience. SD Mines undergraduates have opportunities that allow them to take part in world-class research. 

When oil and water mix Understanding the environmental impacts of shale development

ERI Director Publishes "When Oil and Water Mix: Understanding the Environmental Impacts of Fracking" in GSA Today 

Powerful Bugs: Harnessing the Electric Eels of the Microbial World

SD Mines researchers are studying ways to harness electricity generated by a unique set of microbes. 

SD Mines Exchange with Jaypee University of Information Technology Exemplifies Strength in Diversity

Eight students from Jaypee University of Information Technology spent the past six months at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology contributing to the NSF funded BuG ReMeDEE research project.  

Composite Bridge Winners Use Lightweight, Strong, Inexpensive Material Developed at SD Mines

SD Mines students took home second place in the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) 2018 Student Bridge Contest, by designing a bridge weighing just 12.5 ounces that can carry a 2,000-pound load.    

SD Mines Paleontologist Lands Fulbright Scholarship to Study Invasive Species Impact

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology alumnus Broc Kokesh has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award that takes him to Jamaica.   

SD Mines Students Develop Free Robot Programming Simulator

Mines professors and students create open-source coding program.

SD Mines Researchers Explore Hydraulic Fracturing to Expand Geothermal Energy

SD Mines graduate student Colton Medler and Liangping Li, Ph.D., shown here at the 4850 level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

The use of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking as it’s commonly called in the press) has been a topic of contention in the oil and gas industry. However, researchers believe fracking can also be used at depth in hard rocks that contain no oil or gas to improve geothermal energy production. The process could enhance the use of the earth’s own heat as a source of clean energy.

Liangping Li, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, has received an award from National Science Foundation (NSF) for his research entitled “Inverse Methods of Hydraulic Fracturing for Enhanced Geothermal Systems in a Deep Mine.” Li is working alongside projects already underway at the Sanford Research Facility (SURF) including kISMET (permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies) and the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) project. Hydraulic fracturing research at SURF uses no chemicals, so unlike some fossil fuel fracking operations, the fracking fluid used in these ...

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Last Edited 10/16/2018 01:21:49 PM [Comments (0)]

Mines Undergraduate Research at Sanford Lab

Brady Bos, SD Mines Photo credit SURF.

Brady Bos is a senior physics and mathematics double major at SD Mines from Pipestone, MN. As a freshman, Bos received an email from a professor looking for student help on a physics experiment. That professor was Cabot-Ann Christofferson, the Deputy Director of Majorana Project and a chemistry instructor at SD Mines. Christofferson brought bos on  the MAJORANA Demonstrator located on the 4850 Level of Sanford Underground Research Facility. 

“I thought it was a great opportunity, so I gave it a shot,” said Bos. 

Bos currently runs data and simulation analysis on the Radon backgrounds in the MAJORANA Demonstrator. 

“When I started I helped with the construction of the experiment, and I have been doing a fair amount of chemistry work too,” said Bos. “I was so surprised at the level of cleanliness that they can achieve in a mine a mile underground.” 

This work gives him extensive experience with data analysis and cleanrooms, which he says is valuable for his future career in physics. 

Bos is one of many undergraduates at SD Mines who take part in research at and around the Sanford Lab.

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Last Edited 10/12/2018 04:45:43 PM [Comments (0)]

When oil and water mix Understanding the environmental impacts of shale development

Dan Soeder, director of the Energy Resources Initiative at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, has co-authored the cover article in the September issue of GSA Today magazine. This photo published on the cover was taken by Soeder.

Dan Soeder, director of the Energy Resources Initiative (ERI) at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, has co-authored the cover article titled “When oil and water mix: Understanding the environmental impacts of shale development,” in the September 2018 issue of GSA Today, a magazine published by the Geological Society of America.

The article explores what is known and not known about the environmental risks of fracking with the intent of fostering informed discussions within the geoscience community on the topic of hydraulic fracturing. Soeder’s co-author is Douglas B. Kent of the United States Geological Survey.

In this paper, Soeder and Kent bridge the gap in consensus regarding fracking, providing current information about the environmental impacts of shale development. The article is open access and adheres to science and policy, presenting a complicated and controversial topic in a manner more easily understood by the lay person.

"Geoscientists from dinosaur experts to the people studying the surface of Mars are often asked by the public to weigh-in with their opinions on fracking. We wanted the broader geoscience community to be aware of what is kn...

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Last Edited 10/12/2018 12:33:28 PM [Comments (0)]

Powerful Bugs: Harnessing the Electric Eels of the Microbial World

“We’re studying the electric eels of the microbial world,” says Navanietha Krishnaraj, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department at SD Mines. - Photo Credit NOAA

Researchers at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology are studying ways to harness electricity generated by a unique set of microbes. 

“We’re studying the electric eels of the microbial world,” says Navanietha Krishnaraj, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department at SD Mines.

Researchers, such as Venkata Gadhamshetty, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at SD Mines, and his team including Namita Shrestha, Ph.D., are working on maximizing the efficiency of what’s known as bioelectrochemical systems. By understanding the right combination of microbes and materials it’s possible to harness clean energy for widespread use in various applications.

Possible outcomes of this research include new ways to generate electricity and treat solid waste during NASA space missions, the ability for a wastewater treatment plants to help generate electricity while turning effluent into clean water, a new way to clean saline wastewater generated in oil drilling operations, and better ways to turn food waste, like tomatoes and corn stover into elec...

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Last Edited 8/30/2018 01:53:43 PM [Comments (0)]