Quarterly 1998 Fall
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S OUTH D AKOTA S CHOOL OF M INES AND T ECHNOLOGY QUARTERLYFALL 1998 INTERNET2 INTERNET SDSM&T Jumps on the Internet Fast Lane 2 Story on page 8 APUBLICATION OF SDSM&T Perspectives SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY Fall 1998 The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology President entered our 119th year continuing our commitment Dr. Richard J. Gowen of excellence established more than a century ago. Assistant to the President Those traditions continue both in and out of the Gail Boddicker classroom. Included within our traditions is a Academic Affairs commitment to providing our students with an Dr. Karen L. Whitehead, Vice President excellent education at an affordable price. This fall Business & Administration the University was recognized by Barrons, a leading Timothy G. Henderson, Director resource for higher education information, as one of 300 'Best Buys' in higher education from across the Student Affairs nation. This coveted recognition is also reinforced Dr. Douglas K. Lange, Dean by an increase in the number of new students University & Public Relations choosing to join the Tech family this fall. Julie A. Smoragiewicz, Director SDSM&T Foundation Tech is committed to enhancing teaching and learning through the integration of L. Rod Pappel, President advanced technologies. Our traditions of excellence in teaching were recently College of Earth Systems given a boost through a project funded by Governor Janklow. The South Dakota Dr. Sangchul Bang, Dean School of Mines and Technology was honored to be selected to participate in the Governor's Faculty Awards for Teaching with Technology program. College of Interdisciplinary Studies Dr. Dean A. Bryson, Dean During the past summer eight of our faculty and forty-nine other faculty from College of Materials Science & Engineering across the state were selected to participate in the program. The Tech projects Dr. Kenneth Han, Dean resulted in a wide range of resources for our current students as well as students College of Systems Engineering and teachers in the K-12 systems across our state. The High Priority Connection Dr. Wayne B. Krause, Interim Dean Network has made it possible for these resources to be accessed through the Graduate Education & Research South Dakota Education Network via the Internet. Dr. Sherry O. Farwell, Dean Although the projects officially involved only eight of our faculty, support was Faculty Advisory Council provided for the projects from across the campus. Today these faculty are not Dr. M. Steven McDowell, Chairperson only providing new learning experiences for their students, they are also serving to teach and inspire their fellow faculty to utilize new technologies. SDSM&T Quarterly is published by the Office of University & Public Relations. These are just a few examples of the many projects being implemented on campus to apply current technologies to provide our students with the Editor competitive educational edge Tech students have expected and experienced for Julie A. Smoragiewicz nearly 12 decades. Assistant Editor & Writer Darrell R. Sawyer Sincerely, Advertising & Design Rachel A. Schofield Administrative Support Tracy O’Sullivan Richard J. Gowen Kristi Wishard President For additional information contact: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Office of University & Public Relations 501 E. St. Joseph Street Rapid City, SD 57701-3995 (605) 394-2554 • (800) 544-8162 e-mail: [email protected] South Dakota School of Mines and Technology does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, military status, sex, religion, age, sexual preference, political preference or disability in employment or the provision of service. Features CAMPUS Profile 2 Jurassic Bone Bed The South Dakota School of Mines and Dinosaurs reign over primitive mammals Technology, founded in 1885, has been a national leader in preparing world-class engineers and scientists. Our graduates design, construct, and operate modern technology to meet complex challenges such as global 4 warming, health care delivery, energy resource Wired, Wrapped, & Ready development, mineral extraction and processing, environment quality, futuristic transportation, and Faculty deliver cutting-edge technological instruction national defense. Our alumni are held in the highest regard by their fellow leaders in industry, consulting, government, health and education. Tech has diversified to meet the needs of 6 From Mines to Mongolia and engineering and science throughout the world. South Down Under Dakota Tech’s intellectual environment was shaped a century ago by the ingenuity and rugged individualism Civil engineering professor’s expertise spans the globe of pioneers in science and technology. Tech’s present day pioneers provide inspiration and remain on the cutting edge in the fields of engineering and the 8 Speeding up the Information sciences. Super Highway ACADEMIC PROGRAM: SDSM&T is a state-assisted SDSM&T is one of 150 universities to be connected university providing graduate and undergraduate degrees to Internet 2 in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary studies. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREES 10 Oyate Consortium Chemical Engineering Industrial Engineering Chemistry Interdisciplinary Science Civil Engineering Mathematics Collaboration with tribal colleges continues Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Computer Science Metallurgical Engineering Electrical Engineering Mining Engineering Geological Engineering Physics 11 CAT-apaulting to a New Level Geology of Excellence MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREES Corporate gift will benefit students and faculty Atmospheric Sciences Materials Engineering and Chemical Engineering Sciences Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering Computer Science Paleontology 14 Making a Difference With LRC Electrical Engineering Technology Management Geology and Geological Engineering Faculty and staff give back to the Rapid City community DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREES Atmospheric, Environmental and Water Resources 16 Geology and Geological Engineering Carrying on the M-Hill Traditions Materials Engineering and Sciences Campus culture spans eight decades ENROLLMENT: The University has a diverse enrollment of approximately 2,200 students from nearly 30 states and 20 countries. Our 13 departments offer 30 degree programs in engineering and science 18 Separating Oil From Water disciplines at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. Students enter the university with the highest ACT composite in the state and more than half SDSM&T conducts cutting-edge research for South graduating within the top 25 % of their high school. Dakota business COSTS AND FEES: Annual undergraduate costs for tuition, fees, room and board total less than $8,000 per 20 Engineers in the End Zone year for residents of South Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The Hardrockers - not your ordinary football team Annual total costs for all other undergraduates is less than $11,000 per year. 12 SDSM&T Reaching Out RESEARCH: High quality research is conducted in departments and in our research institutes. 19 Personnel Changes FACULTY: There are approximately 100 faculty with 22 Campus Briefings and Research Notes degrees from more than 150 institutions, eighty five percent of which have earned doctoral degrees. You Are Invited...Calendar of Events and Tech Trivia Quarterly SDSM&T Jurassic B Dinosaurs reign over bout 150 million years ago–70 million years before the states there are few other sites of this magnitude in North Black Hills were even formed–huge Jurassic-era creatures America. A roamed the area now known as the northern Black Hills Camarasaurus was a gigantic beast that stood 50 feet high and and ruled over the region's first mammals. SDSM&T measured 50 feet long. However, compared to the rest of the body, paleontologists are unearthing fossils of Jurassic dinosaurs and this dinosaur had an extremely tiny head that was only 1-1½ feet in primitive mammals at an important scientific site near Sundance, diameter. The weight of the unearthed pelvic portion illustrates the Wyoming. Unlike the mechanical versions found on movie screens, size of this Jurassic creature. The fossilized pelvic portion of these Jurassic dinosaur skeletons are the real things! Camarasaurus, which SDSM&T paleontologists carefully removed For the past and transported to their curation several summers, "This site represents a unique and significant paleontological find lab on campus, weighed over six officials of the for several reasons," says Dr. James Martin, SDSM&T Curator of tons! SDSM&T Museum Vertebrate Paleontology and Professor of Geology. "The area has Darrin Pagnac, a graduate of Geology have produced an amazing abundance of specimens in a small area–a student in paleontology at been excavating diversity of relatively little–known dinosaurs from the Black Hills SDSM&T, has concentrated his the Jurassic bone research on this Camarasaurus bed that was and rare Jurassic mammals. It's the most significant dinosaur site in specimen. "Darrin’s research is a unearthed as a the Black Hills. The diversity is unparalleled." review of species of Camarasaurus result of the based upon the structure of the Interstate highway being built. SDSM&T graduate student John forelimb. From the research a better understanding of these Foster (MS Paleo '93) discovered the site in 1991 after parking dinosaur species will result," says Dr. Martin. along I-90 to check out a rock outcrop of the