Education
Brief Bio
Dr. Andrea Brickey is a professor of Mining Engineering and Management and the Director
of the Office for Professional Education at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
She obtained her BS degree in Mining Engineering from South Dakota Mines and her
PhD in Mining Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. Prior to her career in academia,
she held multiple roles in the mining industry focused primarily on mine feasibility
and design at numerous operations and projects around the world for various commodities.
At South Dakota Mines, she conducts research and teaching activities and delivers
several mining-specific professional development programs for mineral industry partners.
She is e Past President of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America and is
a co-founder of the Black Hills Women in Mining Chapter. She is the recipient of
the Seeley W. Mudd Fellowship, the SME Academic Career Grant, the Tim Shaw Award for
Innovations in Teaching and Learning, the Stephen McCann Memorial Award for Excellence
in Education, the SME Ivan B. Rahn Education Award, the SME Mining and Exploration
Division Distinguished Service Award, and was named an SME Fellow in 2025.
Research Expertise
Dr. Brickey's research applies cross-disciplinary methods, particularly advanced
operations research, mathematical optimization, and systems thinking, to improve underground
mine planning, scheduling, and operations. Core work centers on production scheduling
under real-world constraints, with a strong emphasis on integrating ventilation, refrigeration,
geotechnical factors, and operational realities so that schedules are both economically
robust and safer to execute.
Recent and ongoing efforts include holistic medium- and short-term planning that accounts
for ventilation networks, resource-constrained project scheduling in underground environments,
deviation-minimization approaches for short-term plans, orepass longevity and geotechnical
rating tools, and the effects of water inflows on ventilation systems.
Collaborations span applied mathematics, computer science, and related engineering
disciplines. A parallel interest is developing practical tools and references that
accelerate the effectiveness of early-career mining engineers. This work is supported
by industry partnerships and federal funding focused on underground mining safety
and efficiency.
Teaching
The most critical skill for a mining engineer entering the workforce is the ability
to apply engineering fundamentals to the complex, interconnected problems that arise
daily in real operations. Dr. Brickey's teaching philosophy centers on applied problem-solving
that integrates multiple technical domains rather than treating topics in isolation.
Fifteen years of industry experience across diverse commodities and jurisdictions
allows me to move beyond textbook methods and bring operational context, decision-making
under uncertainty, and practical constraints into the classroom.
She places equal weight on technical competence and professional skills, such as clear
communication, teamwork, self-confidence, adaptability, and navigating difficult situations,
because these are essential for progression into senior engineering and management
roles. Students engage with industry-standard tools and software, real operational
data, and case studies drawn from current practice.
Beyond degree programs, she leads professional development and continuing education
efforts through South Dakota Mines’ Office for Professional Education. These industry-driven
offerings (including Mining Essentials, Mining 360, surface and underground hard-rock
modules, and customized training) help working professionals and organizations build
practical capability while strengthening university–industry partnerships. The goal
across all teaching is the same: prepare engineers and practitioners who can design,
plan, and operate mines that are safer, more productive, and ready for the technologies
shaping the industry’s future.