July 13, 2007

Article Body: Dear Friends,

It’s been an exciting week with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) announcement of their selection of the Homestake mine in Lead as the site of the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). The site, now officially known as the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory or “SUSEL”, will provide scientists with unlimited research potential. While there are many steps remaining, the selection announcement is a significant milestone in the future of the lab. Dr. William Roggenthen, Professor of Geological Engineering at the School of Mines, was co-PI of the project along with Dr. Kevin Lesko of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. We owe a debt of gratitude to these gentlemen, our Congressional delegation, Governor Rounds, T. Denny Sanford, and the many, many individuals who worked tirelessly on this project and are continuing to do so.

It was also announced this week that Dr. Roggenthen and four of his colleagues received approval from the NSF for a $450,000 experiment to be conducted at the SUSEL. The project will test the sensitivity of seismometers at the underground level with hopes to advance the field of seismology and our understanding of the deep interior of the earth.

School of Mines researchers and professors received more than $17.2 million in research and development funding during Fiscal Year 2007, up from $13.9 million in FY06 and a new all time record for the School of Mines. This is a tremendous achievement and a credit to the hard work and diligence of our faculty and research scientists.

Joining us as Director of the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering is Dr. Mano J. Thubrikar. Dr. Thubrikar comes to us with an extensive background, including directing the biomedical engineering program for 12 years at the Heineman Medical Research Center at Carolinas Medical Center. He has authored several books, and is the recipient of numerous grants and awards. Dr. Thubrikar received his bachelor’s degree in materials engineering from Nagpur University, India, and his master’s and Ph.D. in materials science engineering from New York University.

We are pleased to welcome Peter Roberts as the Sioux Falls Regional Admissions and Community Relations Developer, a newly established position for the School of Mines. Pete has nearly ten years of experience in higher education. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Iowa State University and a master’s of education in adult and higher education from Oklahoma State University. Pete will be actively involved in all levels of student recruitment and community relations and will serve as a media spokesperson in Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls market is critical to the School of Mines for recruiting new students as well as identifying employment opportunities for student internships and coops as well as our graduates. Pete can be contacted at (605) 941-2294 or pete.roberts@sdsmt.edu.

Congratulations to the 160 students who completed the six-week GEAR UP program held at the School of Mines. A closing graduation ceremony was held this morning for the graduates and their families. A special thank you to Carter Kerk, Stacy Phelps, Rusty Nyffler, and the many faculty and staff who assisted with the program.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. I can be reached at charles.ruch@sdsmt.edu.

Charles Ruch

Posted by Vickie Bender on 7/13/2007 3:45:00 PM

July 13, 2007

July 13, 2007

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