Dear Colleagues and Friends,
The fall semester is well underway and the campus is bustling with activity. We welcome our new and returning students and look forward to a successful year ahead. Our official fall enrollment numbers will be announced by the Board of Regents on October 1st. While we cannot release enrollment numbers until that time, we are pleased with the status and caliber of our students and that the number of full-time, degree seeking students will not vary significantly from this past year.
This week we welcomed Dr. Abe Palaz, director of strategic, educational and research and development partnerships for Halliburton to campus for a presentation regarding careers in the oil industry. Dr. Palaz earned his Ph.D. in geological engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. During his visit he also presented the campus with a check from Halliburton for $30,000 as an initial gift to the department of Geology and Geological Engineering that will benefit both students and faculty, and will be used for scholarships, curriculum development, and more. We thank Dr. Palaz and Halliburton for this gift and look forward to expanding our partnership.
A team of students and staff participated in the United Way Day of Caring in Rapid City this past week. The team was assigned two service projects-doing yard work and washing windows. The Day of Caring is a reminder of United Way's important role in meeting our community's many needs. The campus has kicked off our annual United Way Campaign.
We recently learned that students in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences placed 12th nationally in the 2008 Weather Forecasting Contest. The annual competition tests the forecasting skills of students and faculty from participating colleges. The School of Mines Forecast Team, consisting of undergraduate and graduate students and mentored by Dr. Andy Detwiler, Professor Institute of Atmospheric Science and Department of Atmospheric Sciences placed 12th overall out of 68 teams. Special congratulations go to team member and masters student Joanna George, who received an individual trophy for the best score in her division in the contest.
The Pella Corporation has announced that Charles Maupin, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering from Hulett, Wyoming, is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship. The scholarship is one of three awarded to students who have participated in the Pella Intern/Coop Program. Mr. Maupin was selected from 16 applicants corporate-wide. The award recipients were determined based on a self-nomination application process, accomplishments during their employment, demonstrated leadership and personal interviews.
The campus will host the 2008 Rocky Mountain Unconventional Gas Conference on October 15-17. This will be our fourth Unconventional Gas Conference. Over the past decade, there has been a tremendous growth in the exploration and production of unconventional gases. The main points of interest include coalbed methane, shale gas reservoirs and unconventional shallow gases. This conference is an opportunity to hear from professionals on these issues. Participants have the opportunity to attend a short course, Putting It All Together - Optimizing Fracture Design, on Wednesday, October 15th.
For more information on these and other activities and news, please visit our website at: www.sdsmt.edu.
It is with sadness I notify you that President Emeritus Schleusener was admitted to Rapid City Regional Hospital after suffering a stroke. Although we don't have any additional information at this time, I ask that you keep Dr. Schleusener and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
I invite your comments and questions. You can reach me at: president@sdsmt.edu.
Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D.
President
