DayOne 2024

For nearly 125 years, the Montana Tech Mining Department has produced mining engineers with a particular aptitude for practical application of what they learn: our engineers have a particular knack for getting rock in the box. An important part of that preparation is the industry learned and applied knowledge shared by talented faculty to better prepare them for life in the industry after graduation. 

The world needs more Montana Tech Mining Engineers and that is why this year we have decided to raise funds for a facility that truly sets us apart from other programs, the Underground Mine Education Center,  the only on-campus underground facility for a Mining Engineering program in the United States.

The UMEC, which is primarily funded by the support of industry, alumni and friends, is a unique hands-on, interdisciplinary educational environment for today’s students. The center complements courses in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene. 

The UMEC also serves as a research facility utilized by students and faculty, and as well as organizations and industry partners doing research in underground mining methods, rock mechanics, ventilation, fragmentation, and health and safety. 

We continually strive to improve the UMEC.  Since construction began in 2012, we have added a 50x120 metal building to keep equipment inside and a Dry building for meeting and changing into lab clothes. 

Utilizing the Department’s annual capital allocation we have purchased Bobcat ToolCat and mini skidsteer to help us move gear safely and cleanup.  Our first modern mucker donation is thanks to Sibanye Stillwater in 2016.  We now have a second mucker, an Epiroc ST2D, for use.  

With the help of some leftover COVID funds, we obtained two new Spendrup fans with VFD’s and the first one is now in service and used for our new Ventilation lab.  Stillwater and Fletcher made possible the donation of a roof bolter and, after a rebuild, we have been able to utilize for bolting the back and drilling some long holes for geotechnical instrumentation.  

In May 2023, we had a 1 in 100-year event that caused about 18 inches of water standing underground which contributed to the failure our compressor motor which was recently replaced by Ingersoll-Rand.   As you all know, running a mine is not inexpensive and running our little underground relies on these, plus more, great donations and support. To continue our work and invest in the maintenance and growth of the facility, we are asking you to please make a gift during DayOne to the Underground Mine Education Center.  

During DayOne, with thanks to Sonya and Scott '82 & '11 Rosenthal and Jack '73 and Leah McCarthy, all gifts to the Underground Mine Education Center will be matched 1:1 up to $10,000. 

In addition to the Underground Mine Education Center, during DayOne we are also offering opportunities to give to:

Mining Engineering Outreach and Recruiting Fund - We are happy to report that increasing our outreach and available recruiting dollars over the past year is bearing positive results. In 2.5 years, we have nearly doubled the size of our undergraduate program (from a low of 32 in Spring 2022) and currently have over 60 students in the program. Our goal is to continue the recruiting efforts that have been successful and leverage the diverse student body in the program to help with those efforts. We now have students from across the US and Canada plus Peru and Indonesia in our undergraduate program again and are proud to boast that the 2023 incoming cohort was 15% female and the 2024 cohort is 36% female.

Raising funds for the Mining Engineering Outreach and Recruiting Fund will allow the Mining Engineering Department to increase recruiting scholarship dollars, promote our program with increased outreach, and help expand our online presence through social media.

During DayOne, with thanks to alumni Mark Johnson, all gifts to the Mining Engineering Outreach and Recruiting Fund will be matched 1:1 up to $20,000. 

Montana Tech AGC Club - Gifts made to Association of General Contractors of Montana Tech during DayOne will be matched 1:1 up to $1,000 thanks to Sonya and Scott '82 & '11 Rosenthal.  

Montana Tech Mining Team - Gifts made to Montana Tech Mining Team during DayOne will be matched 1:1 up to $1,000 thanks to Sonya and Scott '82 & '11 Rosenthal.

Women in Mining - Gifts made to Women in Mining during DayOne will be matched 1:1 up to $500 thanks to anonymous donors.

Montana Tech Chapter of International Society of Explosives Engineers - The Society of Explosives Engineers student club continues to grow and we will be attending the annual conference in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Gifts made to Montana Tech Chapter of International Society of Explosives Engineers during DayOne will be matched 1:1 up to $2,000 thanks to Sonya and Scott '82 & '11 Rosenthal.

Dr. Tom Finch Endowed Memorial Scholarship - The Dr. Tom Finch Endowed Memorial Scholarship was established at Montana Tech in 2013, to serve as a permanent memorial to the teacher, colleague, friend and man he was. Dr. Tom Finch was so much more than a Mining professor. He was a mentor and friend outside of the classroom and genuinely cared about making sure his students graduated and were primed for success when they entered industry. 

The Anderson-Carlisle Technical Society at Montana Tech - Student Chapter SME - Currently planning a series of on-campus technical presentations and will be attending MINEXCHANGE 2025, the SME Annual Conference in Denver.

Montana Tech Mine Rescue - Kicking off the year strong with lots of new interest and under the excited leadership of Sarah Jones who competed on CSM’s team during her undergraduate degree. They will be competing at CSM in February before the SME Annual Conference.

Thank you for your support and please help us spread the word, share this project on social media, by email and tell your friends!