Dear Friends,
As we complete the fourth week of the spring semester, I am pleased to report that the campus is going ‘full tilt’ with academic, research and related activities. I write to highlight several of immediate note.
The 30th Annual Engineers Week will be held February 16th-24th on the School of Mines campus. This popular event is a collaboration of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the Black Hills Chapter of South Dakota Engineering Society, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. At the Engineers Week Luncheon on Thursday, February 22nd, we will be inducting our seniors into the “Order of the Engineer” and recognizing “Outstanding Recent Graduates” Michael E. Connell (MetE97), Jason E. Green (IS96), Corey L. Haeder (CE97), Troy A. McVay (Math96), and Jennifer J. Richmond (EE96). For more detailed information on events and schedules visit: http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/eweek2007.
The 2007 Spring Career Fair will be held in the Surbeck Center on February 13th from 9 am-Noon and 1-4 pm. There will be 87 employers on campus, our largest Spring Career Fair in history! The event has become so popular, we are over capacity, and several companies have had to be put on a waiting list. This increase in national employer presence reflects the interest companies have in our students for internships, co-ops, and full-time employment. Ninety-five percent of our 2005-2006 graduates are already working in their career fields or have been accepted into graduate or professional programs. More than half of engineering programs have already seen a 100% placement of their graduates. The graduates who entered the workforce averaged starting salary offers of nearly $50,000.
We welcome our Alumni Association Board to campus on Saturday, February 17th, for their quarterly meeting. That evening, the Association will host its annual president’s dinner recognizing outgoing International Alumni President Ev Bloom (MeE63) and incoming president Doug Aldrich (ChemE62). More details can be found by visiting: http://www.hpcnet.org/sdsmt/alumni.
The 82nd South Dakota Legislative session is well underway. We are closely watching those bills which affect the School of Mines and higher education in the State of South Dakota. We are pleased with the progress that is being made. If you would like to keep track of the legislative session, please visit the Legislative Research Council’s website.
The next Legislative Cracker Barrel, co-hosted with the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce is Saturday, February 10th from 9 – 11 am in the Classroom Building on the School of Mines campus. The Cracker Barrels are great opportunities to see grassroots politics in action, enjoy the often spirited debate, observe your South Dakota legislators in action, and ask questions. The sessions are also a way to keep track of the Legislature’s work, and they give citizens a chance to make their opinions heard.
Finally, both men’s and women’s basketball teams host rival Black Hills State University this Thursday, February 15th at the King Center. Given the level of competition across the conference this year, the outcome of these games will certainly influence tournament seeding. A full house is expected. For more information, visit: http://www.sdsmt.edu/athletics/.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. I can be reached at charles.ruch@sdsmt.edu.
Charles Ruch
