A $150,000 donation from The Doe Run Company will be used to fund the foundation for a new mine building at the Experimental Mine site operated by the Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering at Missouri University of
Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in Rolla, US. “Doe Run and Missouri S&T share the goal of advancing rigorous mining engineering education, and we are proud to support the university’s efforts of educating tomorrow’s leaders right here in Missouri,” said Bruce Neil, President and CEO of Doe Run.The foundation project, tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2010, will be the first of series of massive updates planned for the Experimental Mine site. The two-story, mine building will include three laboratories, mine rescue and mucking stations, separate mine warehouses for men and women, three large classrooms, office space and a mining industry historic centre.
On November 10, Neil presented a check to Missouri S&T Provost Warren K. Wray and then took a tour of the Experimental Mine site led by Dr. Samuel Frimpong, professor and chair of mining and nuclear engineering. Attending the presentation and tour were dozens of current students as well as a few Doe Run employees who have earned degrees from Missouri S&T.
“We have a long-standing partnership with Missouri S&T that extends well beyond the nearly 30 graduates who work at Doe Run,” Neil said. “As one of the world’s leading lead producers, we rely on Missouri S&T to continue to supply us with first-rate people with first-rate preparation to contribute to our business – in mining, refining, alloying and fabricating lead products. We also draw on the university’s students as interns, and the students get real underground experience in our mines.”
According to Frimpong, the Experimental Mine is one of only a few such mineral engineering facilities on a university campus. “Our mining engineering students use the Experimental Mine extensively to supplement their classroom studies with practical experience,” he said.
Located on Bridge School Road, just west of Rolla about 3 km from Missouri S&T, the site features two underground mines and two small quarries. It is staffed by two full-time employees, and a variety of mining equipment is available for instructional and research purposes.
“We’re very thankful for this generous donation from Doe Run,” Provost Wray said. “Doe Run’s generosity will enable Missouri S&T to truly raise the bar at our Experimental Mine and make it the best possible training ground for mining engineering students.”
