News

Spring Break 2007 field trip to Hawaii

Eighteen students, alumni, and faculty will spend 11 days visiting the island paradise and studying the geology and geological engineering on sev.  We’ll camp on the beach, take a night hike to see glowing lava, study earthquake/volcanic hazards, and work on our tans.

Geoprobe gift helps studies of uranium mining effects

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been gifted an older van-mounted GeoProbe soil coring machine from RESPEC, INC. in Rapid City.  Dr. Stetler is the in-charge person for the Van, upkeep, and field coring.  Currently, the probe has been used in the South Cave Hills to obtain soil cores that are being analyzed to determine if metals contamination from past uranium mining has occurred and will be continually utilized on this project during the upcoming 5 years.  The probe is available for School of Mines research projects, student projects, and non-university research through a rental program.

Antarctica Medal of Honor presented to School of Mines faculty member and student

Faculty member Dr. James Martin and alumnus Dr. Foster Sawyer received the Antarctica Medal of Honor for their work in the southern continent and their discovery and recovery of a baby plesiosaur skeleton.  The awards were presented during a reception at the Museum of Geology on December 13, 2006.

Professor advises during contentious sale of fossil raptor nest

New professor and dinosaur expert Dr. Gerald Grellet-Tinner found himself embroiled in controversy in December 2006 when an LA auction house put an incredibly expensive and well-preserved fossil raptor clutch on the block although the specimen had been smuggled from China.  Dr. Grellet-Tinner’s expertise was sought by the news media, the Homeland Security Administration, and other participants in the drama.