Mines Hosts Inaugural Community Event Focused on the Future of Sustainable Mining and Critical Minerals

South Dakota Mines has been shaping the future of mining since its founding in 1885. What began as a mining school has grown into a leader driving innovation in the critical minerals supply chain – resources essential to everyday life and national security.

Today, Mines is one of only five universities in the nation to house all three mineral industry disciplines: geology and geological engineering, mining engineering and management, and materials and metallurgical engineering.

Now, the university is celebrating its legacy while looking to the future of sustainable mining. On Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mines will host the inaugural 4M Expo – Mining, Minerals, Munitions, and Manufacturing in the Nucor Mineral Industries Building.

Open to all ages, this community event offers something for everyone: from gold panning, sandbox mining, and blacksmithing, to keynote talks and interactive discussions with Mines students and faculty.

The day also includes free admission to the Museum of Geology in the O’Harra Building on campus.

“We really want the community to come to campus and see some of the really cool things our students are doing for national security, agriculture and the environment,” said Andrea Brickey, Ph.D., Mines professor of mining engineering and management.

The event is also a way to inform the community about the importance of domestic mining and the increased demand for critical minerals.

From cell phones and electric vehicles to surgery equipment and weapons, these key elements, buried in the Earth's crust, make up nearly everything in our modern lives.

“Over the past several years, the mining supply chain has been brought to the forefront of national security,” Brickey said. “We depend on many of these critical minerals for daily life and national defense, but at the moment, the majority are sourced through countries that are not necessarily our allies. Additionally, the United States is a leader in mine safety and environmental protection.”

Mining has come a long way since its early days. Today's mining is high-tech and much safer and more sustainable, using autonomous equipment and artificial intelligence.

“We really want to highlight how mining is done today – the industry is using technology that isn’t even in the public realm yet,” Brickey said.

Mines blends more than a century of expertise with cutting-edge research to meet the growing demand for critical minerals. The 4M Expo will highlight how modern mining is smarter, more sustainable and more essential than ever.

Find full event details and the complete schedule here.