Points of Pride

Success at the School of Mines. In a campus full of talented, ambitious, and hard-working scientists, engineers, students, faculty, and administrators, every day can bring a new success or accomplishment to celebrate. Use the following links to read about some of our recent successes. Honors and Awards Success After Graduation Student Scholarships Research and Development Student Teams at Regional and National Competitions

Honors and Awards The School of Mines was ranked one of America's 100 Best College Buys for the tenth consecutive year. Six School of Mines students have been named Tau Beta Pi Scholars for the 2007-08 academic year. Out of the more than 85 chapters in the nation with recipients, only one chapter boasts more scholars. The National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) recently recognized www.GoToMines.com as one of the top admissions websites in the country. The School of Mines was one of only 140 institutions that received an "A" ranking. The School of Mines website was ranked 111 overall out of more than 3,000 institutions and ranked no. 5 on the list of Top-10 Specialty Institutions. Dr. Daniel Dolan, professor, mechanical engineering, and co-director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Production (CAMP, was awarded the Carroll Smith Mentors Cup Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed on any Formula SAE Advisor. Ms. Sandra Fischer, director of business services, was named president of hte National Association of Educational Procurement for the Minnesota/Dakota regions. Dr. M. R. Hansen, professor, civil engineering, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Jennifer Karlin, assistant professor, industrial engineering, was the recipient of a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award from the National Science Foudnation (NSF). Dr. Michael Langerman, chair and professor, mechanical engineering, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Dr. James Martin, professor, geology and geological engineering, paleontology program coordinator, and curator of vertebrate paleontology, was awarded the Department of Defense Antarctic Service Medal. Dr. Dana Medlin, associate professor, materials and metallurgical engineering, was prominently featured in the article, "Metallurgical Musings: Thoughts on Materials Science" in Orthepedics This Week. Darrell Sawyer, director, Career Center, was elected president of the South Dakota Career Planning and Placement Association (SDCPPA). Sawyer will serve a two-year term from 2007-09. Angela Setera (industrial engineering, Miles City, Mont.) was the recipient of a $5,250 David Iden Memorial Safety Scholarship from the American Society of Safety Engineers (sponsored by UPS). The UPS Scholarships are ASSE's most prestigious. Dr. Larry Simonson, Hoffert professor, electrical and computer engineering, was named president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. Dr. Paul L. Smith, professor emeritus, atmospheric sciences, received the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) Remote Sensing Lecturer Award in 2006 for his work in advancing the quantitative use of radar in cloud and precipitation physics. Dr. P.V. Sundareshwar, assistant professor, atmospheric sciences, detailed a plan for an environmental monitoring network for India in a Policy Forum article published in Science magazine. Joshua Valder (Ph.D geology, Ballston Spa, N.Y.) received first place in the student speaker contest at the South Dakota Association of Environmental Professionals’ annual meeting. Ms. Maureen Wilson, director of Resident Life and Surbeck Center/Student Conduct administrator, was named president of the South Dakota College Personnel Association (SDCPA) for 2007-08 at the SDCPA Winter Conference. Success After Graduation More than 95 percent of our graduates report that they have already embarked on a career, or been admitted to a professional program, in their field shortly after graduation. The average annual starting salary of our graduates is approximately $54,000. Student Scholarships The School of Mines awardsmore than $11 million in scholarships and financial aid annually, which is disbursed to more than 80 percent of our students. Research and Development School of Mines faculty members and researchers received more than 72 research awards totaling more than $17.1 million during the 2007 fiscal year. The funding came from many different agencies, including the Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, NASA, National Science Foundation, United States Department of Education, and the State of South Dakota. Through its research and development projects in areas such as nanotechnology, carbon sequestration, advanced materials development, and geology, the School of Mines continues to assist the military, the State of South Dakota, regional and national industrial firms, farmers, and ranchers. The School of Mines is also an active participant in the effort, led by Black Hills Vision, to create a technology-based economic development corridor in western South Dakota. Student Teams at Regional and National Competitions The School of Mines team took the first place award in the National Scholar Award for Workplace Innovation & Design competition for their Universal Box Taping Device. The School of Mines team captured second place in design at the 2007 Aero Design West Competition. The Human Powered Vehicle team placed first in design at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers West Coast Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. The Steel Bridge Team came in second at the 2007 American Society of Civil Engineers Rocky Mountain Regional Conference. The School of Mines team placed first at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers student conference. A team of students from the School of Mines won top honors in the 2007 EntrepreneurshipWeek USA Challenge for their Carbon Post-it Notes design. The School of Mines Formula SAE team finished in sixth place at the 2007 Formula SAE West Competition. The School of Mines' Alternative Fuel Vehicle team placed second in the zero emissions (electric snowmobile) category of the SAE Clean Snowmobile competition. The School of Mines Unmanned Aerial Vehicle team tied for second place at the 2007 International Aerial Robotics Competition and also received the first perfect paper score in the 17-year history of the competition. The School of Mines placed second overall at the regional competition of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The ChE car took fourth place in the 2007 regional conference of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers. The Concrete Canoe Team came in fourth at the 2007 American Society of Civil Engineers Rocky Mountain Regional Conference. The Robotics Team took fourth and sixth place at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Region 5 Competition.

Fast Facts

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Last Modified: 12/20/2007