Alumni Spotlight - Erin McCullough (MinE 14)

From rocks to policy: leveraging research for meaningful change

Erin McCullough (MinE 14) was a self-described rock collection kid. “While out exploring, I would pick up interesting rocks, put them in my pocket, and eventually they would end up in the washing machine.”  

Like many children, Erin was fascinated by rocks, minerals, and dinosaurs. She remembers her father bringing her to her first fossil dig in first grade at a public paleontological site in eastern Washington State.  At the end of the trip, a senior ranger overseeing the dig inspected their numerous finds. She was happy the fossils she found were not too valuable because that meant she could keep them. Erin also left the trip with new inspiration. 

“The ranger was patient with all my questions. She took the time to explain to me the age of the rocks and how they formed.” The trip taught her that she could find interesting things right outside her door, and the passion to find something hidden stayed with her. 

Erin looks at geological faults near the Red River Gorge Geological Area in eastern Kentucky.

After visiting the Museum of Geology and noticing the exceptional geological laboratory facilities and specimen available for undergraduates to study, her decision to attend college at South Dakota Mines was natural. The mining engineering major enabled her to pursue her interest in geology while also developing marketable engineering skills.

During her first year at Mines, she had the opportunity to attend professional conferences with the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) due to generous corporate and alumni donations to the ISEE student group on campus. While at her first ISEE conference, she saw another student in the department present his original research to a room full of hundreds of people. It was a “lightbulb moment” for her because she saw how publishing original academic research at a conference could be an opportunity to drive change. Following this example immediately and for years to come, Erin authored more than 20 peer-reviewed academic publications, some of which have been cited in congressional deliberations and formal agency actions.

Erin has been civic-minded and motivated to influence change since high school. She was competitively selected to participate in the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary’s Girls State program for Washington State, a civics immersion program in which participants run a mock state government. Due to her success in this program, she was selected to attend Girls Nation in Washington, D.C., a mock legislature and government leadership development program for young women.  

“Attending Mines did not require me to choose between my interests in science and public policy,” she said. Instead, it connected her with faculty members like Dr. Purushotham Tukkaraja, who advised her undergraduate research, and Dr. Donna Kliche, who strongly encouraged her to pursue graduate school to increase credibility when serving in advisory roles. “They really understood how to apply their expertise to meaningful change.”

After completing a master’s degree in mining engineering at Virginia Tech, she started her federal career with the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey. Her economic modelling of “critical minerals” and original cobalt supply chain research defined her impact with the National Science and Technology Council, a White House advisory function.

Erin at the National Capital.

Erin was passionate about improving occupational safety and environmental quality in the mineral industries, so she enrolled into the George Mason University Law night program on a generous scholarship due to her unique education from Mines. While attending class every night of the week, she was invited to transfer to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to further develop the liquefied natural gas federal administrative review process. During her tenure there, she received multiple awards for identifying potential hazards that various projects posed to the public and environment.

She is now an oversight professional for the federal government, where she advances interests in nuclear safety. “A safe work environment is a human right, a moral imperative, and a legal entitlement,” she said. “I help ensure that workers for the U.S. Department of Energy are able to safely and effectively perform their jobs in nuclear facilities.”

Her motivation to apply her knowledge in engineering and law to improve nuclear work environments comes from her belief that, “If we have certain technical expertise, we have a duty to share it.” Erin believes that all engineers by nature want to develop technology that improves society; that it is a collective interest and obligation in the engineering community. 

In 2023, Erin received an Outstanding Recent Graduate Award from South Dakota Mines for her contributions to her field. And according to Erin, the future is bright for other students who want to go into this line of work. 

“The nuclear industry is going through a renaissance period. There are tremendous professional opportunities for students and alumni who already started their professional journeys. It’s a complex, interdisciplinary field that has representation of people from all walks of life.”  

While she certainly is busy with her day job, Erin’s favorite way to unwind is to explore the outdoors and visit national parks. This year, she’s headed to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Acadia National Park in Maine. “My goal is to visit all of them.”

And after just one chat with Erin, you know she’ll accomplish any goal she sets her mind to. 

Erin at a waterfall in Iceland.