Quarterly 1999 Spring
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S O U T H D A K O T A S C H O O L O F M I N E S A N D T E C H N O L O G Y QUARTERLSPRINGY1999 Taking on the Mighty Mo - Story page 6 Photo Courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Tourism APUBLICATION OF SDSM&T Perspectives SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY Spring 1999 President Dear Friends, Dr. Richard J. Gowen Assistant to the President It is difficult to believe that yet another academic Gail Boddicker year is coming to a close. Over the next few Academic Affairs weeks our students not only will be looking Dr. Karen L. Whitehead, Vice President forward to completing exams and Business & Administration commencement, but many of our students also Timothy G. Henderson, Director are busily preparing for national competitions. Student Affairs The industries that employ our graduates have encouraged South Dakota Tech to Dr. Douglas K. Lange, Dean create new ways to prepare our graduates to lead teams in the real-world work University & Public Relations place. Through SDSM&T's new Center of Excellence in Advanced Julie A. Smoragiewicz, Director Manufacturing and Production (CAMP), our student teams have spent countless SDSM&T Foundation hours eagerly awaiting the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills L. Rod Pappel, President in national competitions. These contests include Sunrayce '99, National Concrete College of Earth Systems Canoe, Mini Indy, Mini Baja and a Human-Powered Vehicle race—a new event Dr. Sangchul Bang, Dean for SDSM&T. College of Interdisciplinary Studies As we finish another year, we also look to the future and how best to prepare Dr. Dean A. Bryson, Dean students for Tech in the new millennium. You may recall that SDSM&T took a College of Materials Science & Engineering bold step in 1995 by establishing the Little Miner’s Clubhouse child care center on Dr. Kenneth Han, Dean campus. We made this commitment to our students, faculty and staff so that they College of Systems Engineering as parents could feel confident that their children were well cared for and nearby. Dr. Wayne B. Krause, Interim Dean Most importantly, we made a commitment to the next generation of South Graduate Education & Research Dakota Tech students to provide quality child care in an environment that Dr. Sherry O. Farwell, Dean combines a focus on the family with the Tech traditions of excellence in science and engineering. Faculty Advisory Council Dr. M. Steven McDowell, Chairperson Currently openings exist for children of our alumni and other Rapid City area residents. I encourage you to contact the staff of the Little Miner’s Clubhouse at SDSM&T Quarterly is published by the 394-2586 to learn how our child care facility can make a difference in the lives of Office of University & Public Relations. your children today and in their futures. Editor Sincerely, Julie A. Smoragiewicz Assistant Editor, Writer, & Photographer Darrell R. Sawyer Advertising & Design Richard J. Gowen, President Rachel A. Schofield Administrative Support Tracy L. O’Sullivan Kristi L. Wishard 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 Creston Concrete Dinosaur Rises From Rubble The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, founded in 1885, has been a national Civil engineering students gain real world leader in preparing world-class engineers and scientists. experience Our graduates design, construct, and operate modern technology to meet complex challenges such as global 4 Hit Formula warming, health care delivery, energy resource development, mineral extraction and processing, Chemistry students succeed in K-12 outreach environment quality, futuristic transportation, and national defense. Our alumni are held in the highest regard by their fellow leaders in industry, consulting, government, health and education. 6 Taking on the Mighty Mo Tech has diversified to meet the needs of engineering and science throughout the world. South Dakota Tech’s intellectual environment was shaped a Tech professor retraces Lewis & Clark voyage century ago by the ingenuity and rugged individualism of pioneers in science and technology. Tech’s present day pioneers provide inspiration and remain on the 8 cutting edge in the fields of engineering and the A Century of Curation sciences. Museum of Geology celebrates 100th ACADEMIC PROGRAM: SDSM&T is a state-assisted anniversary of first field dig university providing graduate and undergraduate degrees in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary studies. 10 I Do! BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREES Chemical Engineering Industrial Engineering Newlyweds mine golden year couples for Chemistry Interdisciplinary Science marital advice Civil Engineering Mathematics Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering 14 Computer Science Metallurgical Engineering Keeping our Children Safe Electrical Engineering Mining Engineering Geological Engineering Physics Campus teams with entrepreneur to improve Geology school bus safety MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREES Atmospheric Sciences Materials Engineering and 15 Alums Form Local Software Chemical Engineering Sciences Company That Benefits Educators Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering Computer Science Paleontology Aptus Technologies one of ten to win Electrical Engineering Technology Management US WEST award Geology and Geological Engineering 16 Partnership Establishes Year Round Children’s Science Center DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREES Atmospheric, Environmental and Water Resources Center to have science and technology focus Geology and Geological Engineering Materials Engineering and Sciences 18 ENROLLMENT: The University has a diverse Cuttin’ the Rug enrollment of approximately 2,200 students from nearly 30 states and 20 countries. Our 13 departments Students put the swing back into dance offer 30 degree programs in engineering and science disciplines at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. Students enter the university with the highest ACT composite in the state and more than half 20 Going for the Goal graduating within the top 25 % of their high school. Soccer the fastest growing sport in the country COSTS AND FEES: Annual undergraduate costs for tuition, fees, room and board total less than $8,000 per year for residents of South Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New 12 SDSM&T Reaching Out Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. 19 Research Notes Annual total costs for all other undergraduates is less than $11,000 per year. 19 Personnel Changes 19 Publications RESEARCH: High quality research is conducted in departments and in our research institutes. 21 SDSM&T Field Dig Opportunities FACULTY: There are approximately 100 faculty with 22 Campus Briefings & Spotlight on Students degrees from more than 150 institutions, eighty five 24 You Are Invited...Calendar of Events percent of which have earned doctoral degrees. Quarterly SDSM&T ne year ago all that remained of the Milwaukee Railroad that was a pump has written several newspaper articles about O the town of Creston along the station for the engine and also the home of the project. banks of the Cheyenne River the section foreman. An estimated 30-40 According to Bloom, Old Ike built the was a dilapidated concrete dinosaur and people lived in Creston during the 1930's dinosaur over a little shack. "You sort of area residents' memories of days long past. when the dinosaur was built. walked in the door right between the Today, thanks to SDSM&T's civil Former Crestonite Herman Bloom dinosaur's front legs and it was just big engineering students, the Creston dinosaur states that a resident named Old Ike enough inside for a bed. You could barely is completely refurbished. After Murphy built the Creston dinosaur. "He turn around in there," adds Bloom. volunteering hundreds of hours of work could build anything and was a real good SDSM&T's involvement with this over the past year, members of SDSM&T's cement man," said Bloom in a 1998 community service project began when American Society of Civil Engineers interview with the Pennington County Courant. area resident Benita White of New (ASCE) Student Chapter have restored the "He always wore those Oshkosh bib Underwood called the university for help in Creston dinosaur to its former glory. overalls and had a big batch of whiskers, rehabilitating the 60-year-old dinosaur that The crumbling concrete shell had and my goodness, what a character he was." had fallen into a state of disrepair. Dr. M.R. become a target for vandals and drew The late Maggie Lemley Warren, who Hansen, Associate Professor of Civil quizzical looks from passing motorists who lived near the Cheyenne River on the ranch Engineering, thought the project would be wondered why an old green dinosaur was of her late father Pete Lemley, also a good community service effort for the standing in a field along Highway 44 several remembered Ike Murphy. "Old Ike, he had ASCE chapter and also a good way for miles east of Rapid City. Rather than stand a lot of things going," said Warren. "There SDSM&T idly by and watch the dinosaur was always something going on at that deteriorate further store in Creston." until it soon would no longer be Photo by Julie Smoragiewicz Shane Boyle, Rich Anderson, and Terry Collins (pictured l to r) put the finishing touches on the refurbished dinosaur. students to gain real-world work experience. "The internal structure of the concrete dinosaur is very similar to a short-span bridge," explains Dr. Hansen. "This project offered our students the opportunity to gain some practical experience in addressing a real-world "The internal structure of the concrete dinosaur is very engineering situation." standing, area At Dr.