The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is delighted to share in the excitement of the recent National Science Foundation (NSF) announcement of the selection of the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake as the development site for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). "The School of Mines would like to thank our congressional delegation, Governor Rounds, South Dakota Science Technology Authority, T. Denny Sanford, Co-Principle Investigator Dr. Kevin Lesko and Barrick Gold Corporation, as well as those individuals on campus, in community organizations and our other elected officials that worked to make this happen, beginning in 2000 with the announcement of the Homestake mine closure," School of Mines President Dr. Charles Ruch said. "While there are many steps remaining, this is a significant milestone that we have reached." "The project provides for unlimited research potential, and the School of Mines look forward to participating in research in a wide array of fields, from physics to geology to biology. In return, we have had the opportunity to work closely with renowned researchers from the University of California Berkeley, the project lead on DUSEL, as well as eminent researchers from around the world." Dr. Gautam Pillay, vice president for research, said. "We would like to thank Co-Principle Investigator Dr. Bill Roggenthen for his role as the School of Mines liaison with the broader scientific community."
Roggenthen has been heavily involved in the underground lab development from the beginning, and will continue in his leadership role as liaison between the School of Mines and the DUSEL project. Roggenthen's involvement has already yielded tangible results to the School of Mines as noted by the National Science Foundation's recent selection of Roggenthen and faculty from University of California-Berkeley to conduct a cooperative project on seismic research at the Homestake Mine.
"I have been privileged to work with outstanding individuals on this process. While there is still a long road to seeing the lab to fruition, today's announcement represents a monumental achievement and great cause to celebrate," Roggenthen said. "School of Mines research is already underway, with projects that range from extremophile microbes to economic geology," he added.
The deans of the School of Mines' two colleges also see the possibilities for positive impact on both faculty and students.
"Today’s announcement is exciting news for both the university and the faculties of both colleges at the School of Mines," Dr. Duane Hrncir, dean of the college of science and letters, said. "We look forward to collaborating with the project team as the next phase begins."
"The new facility creates unparalleled opportunities for state-of-the-art research by our students and faculty. For example, a senior design proposal included robots for collecting samples in flooded environments," Dr. Duane Abata, dean of the college of engineering, said. "Not unlike the space program, research conducted in extreme environments, in this case in underground, high temperature and high pressure areas, has the potential for developing engineering solutions that may influence everyday life in the near future."