DayOne 2022

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering is celebrating 100 years at Montana Technological University!

The Montana School of Mines began offering degrees in Metallurgical Engineering in 1922 and, ever since, the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department has enjoyed an enormously positive world-wide reputation for the quality of education our students receive. Students learn how to process ores, separate valuable minerals into concentrates, produce and purify metals, manufacture metals into products, and create new materials. Industry seeks and hires our graduates because of their training and work ethic, which are developed and honed through classroom instruction, hands-on laboratories, and internships. Each year, 100% of our graduates are either placed in high-paying, responsible positions or choose to continue their education by pursuing graduate degrees.
 

Increasing our undergraduate enrollment is top priority for the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department. To this end, we have decided to implement a more aggressive recruiting plan that entails recruiting visits to high schools State and creating a summer camp for high school students.

We realize that the prospective students have, at best, a limited grasp of the meaning of the word “metallurgical,” let alone an understanding of what engineers in our field actually do. Members of the student activity club (“Club Met”), our Industrial Advisory Board, and faculty are planning to launch a united effort this fall to visit high schools and explain the advantages and opportunities that a career in our field offers. We plan to visit as many schools as our time and budget will allow in order to realize a significant improvement in freshman enrollment in Fall 2023.

To augment our recruitment effort, we intend to launch our initial workshop for high school students in Summer 2023. We intend to invite high school students who are interested in science and engineering to attend the week-long camp, which will feature experiential “hand-on” learning in the Department laboratories, site visits to area industrial concerns, and a design-oriented competition. Enthusiasm for this much-needed camp is running high, so we expect to staff it with participating faculty, IAB members, graduate students, and other friends of the Department.

To this end, we ask that you donate generously to support our recruiting initiatives. Transportation, meals, and lodging costs will be incurred during the high school visits this fall and, although we intend to staff the summer camp with volunteers, the costs for meals, dormitory lodging, transportation, and entertainment for the students will be substantial. Please consider a gift to the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department Fund.  With your help and support of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department Fund will be able to support the department, recruit students, promote Metallurgy and Materials engineering to future generations, and secure the future of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Montana Technological University.

During DayOne, thanks to an anonymous donor, each gift to the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department Fund will be matched 1:1 up to $5,000.

Also a reminder that the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. The Centennial Event—Celebrating Our Past and Securing Our Future— will be held in Butte September 25 through October 1, 2022. The Celebration will include technical sessions, student poster sessions, workshops (Bladesmithing and Fire Assay), and several social events. We are expecting a huge turnout by alumni and friends of the Department, so please mark the dates on your calendar. You can find additional information and sign up today HERE.

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