Critical Minerals Initiatives
South Dakota Mines stands at the forefront of innovation in critical minerals and supply chain management, driving solutions to secure resources essential for global industries and advancing resilient, sustainable supply networks to meet the demands of the future.
We are among a select few universities that bring together all four essential disciplines for the exploration, extraction, and processing of Earth's mineral resources: Geology, Geological Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Materials and Metallurgical Engineering.
Advancing Critical Minerals Innovation, Education, and Impact
South Dakota Mines is at the forefront of advancing critical minerals research, workforce
development, industry partnerships, and national security engagement. Through cutting-edge
research initiatives, curriculum innovation, strategic collaborations, and national
recognition, Mines faculty and partners are driving progress in securing the materials
essential to modern technology and defense. Explore recent highlights from across
campus and beyond.
- Faculty team working with SD National Guard on potential projects/research concerning artisanal mining in Suriname (SDNG partner country), SD Mines team visited Suriname spring 2024.
- Faculty team conducting research on DoD DLA SBIR Phase 1 and DoD Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) stibnite (Sb2S3) project. Stibnite is primer material for Picatinny Arsenal. Industrial partners are Perpetua and IMP.
- Nucor Mineral Industries Building, first new domestic university mineral-focused building in last 20 years, opened January 2025
- Rudra Mitra selected by the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration to receive 2024 Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. Career Development Grant
- Two Critical Minerals Minors approved by the SD Board of Regents, May 2024
- Subject matter experts for critical minerals and materials sessions at the annual Black Hills Defense Symposium
- Black Hills Women in Mining Chapter (part of Women in Mining, USA) formed 2024
- Authentix, possible partner for mineral track and trace technology, executed research contract on track and trace of lithium ores
- IMP (Dr. Jan Puszynski, CEO, Rapid City company partner on stibnite DOTC research)
- Andrea Brickey received SME’s Ivan B. Rahn Award and was named an SME Fellow, February 2025
- Mines faculty team briefed DoD U.S. Southern Command on critical minerals supply chains, November 2024
- Andrea Brickey and Jon Kellar selected for the U.S. Speakers Program by the U.S. State Department, November 2024
- Sarah Keenan named as Fulbright Specialist by U.S. State Department, October 2024
- National Strategic Research Institute UARC (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln) briefing, September 2023
- Applied Physics Laboratory UARC (University of Washington) visit, November 2023