In the heart of South Dakota, a group of passionate mining professionals has come together with a shared vision: to create a space within the new state-of-the-art Nucor Mineral Industries Building that will not only support the next generation of engineers but also inspire them to excel in an industry critical to the world’s future. This effort, spearheaded by over 20 individuals, helped to transform the Nucor Mineral Industries Building at South Dakota Mines, a place designed to educate, encourage, and challenge the minds that will shape tomorrow’s mineral industries.
A New Home for the Next Generation
For decades, the original building, constructed in the 1960s, served as the home of the South Dakota Mines mining, metallurgical, and geology departments. But as time passed, it became clear that the aging facility was no longer up to the task of training students for an industry increasingly reliant on cutting-edge technology and innovation. The cramped classrooms and outdated facilities made it harder to attract top talent—both professors and students.
Tony (MinE 84) and Dulci Jensen (CSc 86) and John (MinE 77) and Jeane (CE 77) Hull, mining industry veterans and active alumni were among those who recognized the need for change. Over their 35+ years in the industry, they had seen firsthand the importance of having a well-equipped, inspiring space for the mining engineers and geologists of tomorrow. All four were keenly aware of the impact education had on their lives and careers and knew creating a new space for students in the mineral industry was no longer a wish but a dire need. So between the four of them they created the idea of the Next Generation Challenge with the goal to raise over a million dollars from their generation to ensure the Next Generation could thrive. Continue reading here.
April 2025
The third annual Raising for Rockers giving day at South Dakota Mines saw another year of incredible generosity. Held from noon to noon on Feb. 20-21, this year’s event featured a few new surprises while continuing to provide alumni and supporters with the opportunity to give back to the programs and departments that mean the most to them.
One notable change this year was the event’s shift from April to February, aligning with a significant moment in Mine’s History- the first day of classes in 1887. So far this year, Raising for Rockers has raised over $100,000 with more than 200 donors giving gifts to 18 different initiatives, with donations still coming in.
“The students at South Dakota Mines succeed because of the incredible support we receive from our alumni, donors, and friends,” said Annual Giving Director Bailey Ellis. “We are grateful for everyone who makes Raising for Rockers a success each year.” Continue reading here.
March 2025
Strong, hearty roots are often what lead to large, prosperous trees with expansive branches reaching in every direction. The same can be said for people and the lives they lead. By laying down good roots, sometimes it’s impossible to stop the reach that a person can have. This is true for Jim (ME 74) and Connie Green.
After a 37-year career with Caterpillar, numerous patents because of his work, and countless students’ lives changed, Jim can attribute much of their success to his time at South Dakota Mines.
Jim and Connie met on Oct. 4, 1968 at school in Bridgeport, Nebraska while he was the editor on the school yearbook and she was a staff member. After graduating, Jim went on to junior college in Scottsbluff for two years to start his education to be an engineer. After receiving his associate’s degree, they got married and moved into a one bedroom walkout apartment in Rapid City for $75 a month.
“We both came from very humble roots in terms of finance,” Jim said. “I grew up in an environment where if you could, with sweat, get something done and you didn’t have to pay to get it done, you were going to sweat.” Continue reading here.
January 2025
Renita Mollman (CE 88) embodies the spirit of giving back, driven by an ingrained lesson to support others, a desire to see students succeed, and the realization that she's reached a point in her career where she can make a significant impact. This mindset has led her to not only support her alma mater but to consistently increase her gifts of time and treasure.
"About five to seven years into my career, I realized what a gift I had been given with a good, stable job, and I felt able to share," Renita reflects. "I've been so blessed in my career, so it was important to give back to the place that helped me start it."
Renita attended South Dakota Mines when the campus landscape was quite different. There was only one female dorm, tightly secured with separate keys. However, the one constant has been the exceptional quality of education, which significantly shaped Renita's career trajectory. Her Mines education provided her with crucial skills like teamwork and problem-solving, which she still applies today as the Chief Administrative Officer of Burns & McDonnell.
Her journey of giving began modestly with a $25 donation shortly after graduation. Since then, Renita has consistently supported the school, culminating in a significant comprehensive gift. This includes support for the Surbeck Center expansion and the Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement. Additionally, she established a scholarship aimed at supporting women pursuing education at Mines. Read more here.
November 2024
One thing that all alumni can agree on is that the education they received at South Dakota Mines can take them just about anywhere and open many doors of opportunity they never saw possible. The same can be said for Lace Sloan (PHYS 69), a physicist turned philanthropic gardener.
Lance originally chose South Dakota Mines for his education because of the school’s excellent reputation for higher education and he hoped to stay in state, having grown up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He discovered a passion for math, physics, and cave exploring. As he made his way through school, he ended up with enough credits that he could’ve graduated with a math degree, however landed on physics instead.
“I thought physics was the more interesting of the degrees,” he said. “It’s a little hard to say why physics, but there’s considerably more reality to physics in terms of reacting to the real world than there is mathematics.” Continue reading here.
December 2024
Receiving a quality education goes well beyond the classroom and the textbooks. It includes having access to necessary resources; it includes having a strong support system; it includes community. Having a strong community behind students' education has the ability to make a university that much stronger.
Howard Noziska (CE 67), vividly recalls a time when South Dakota Mines lacked a central hub for community on campus. In those days, the cafeteria was housed in the basement of some student dorms, with just a pool table and a couple ping pong tables. As he recalls, “it was a pretty sparse existence for a while.”
As the school continues to grow, so does the need for larger community gathering spaces, which is why Howard felt the importance to give to the Surbeck expansion project.
“It was kind of like a day and night thing,” he said. “Having gone through the first real Surbeck Center and understanding what an improvement to campus life that was, we thought that this project was another project that would enhance the students’ experience and make the school that much more appealing to students and potential students.” Continue reading here.
August 2024
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It’s no secret that the coursework at South Dakota Mines is challenging. But Mines students are nothing if not tenacious and dedicated, which is what makes them such great engineers. That dedication and drive is what alumnus Theodore (Jim) Smolik (MetE 63) said is what makes Mines students some of the best to support the society and economy we’re in right now.
“Engineering is important to the world,” he said. “To society in general, to its growth, whether it’s growing more food or designing buildings and bridges, engineers are needed and will be needed in the future.”
This is the main reason Jim chose South Dakota Mines for the creation of two scholarships and made donations to projects such as the Nucor Mineral Industries building. He and his late wife Bonnie were able to establish two endowed scholarships for engineering and metallurgy students with the hope of creating a lasting impact on the students who need it to help make a difference.
“I’m hoping the support I give will provide the young minds, that the new students bring, the right training and the chance for a successful future,” he said.
Continue reading here.
July 2024
If you ask Richard (Dick) Logue (CE 66) who influenced him to attend South Dakota Mines, he would probably say it was his brother, John (EE 65). And if you ask John, he’d say his ability to attend was because of Dick.
The two grew up in Wakonda, SD with five other siblings and attended a one-room school for grades one to eight. Even though John was younger, he was the first to start college.
“I had never really liked school before Mines,” said Dick. “I wasn’t that focused. I liked the social part of school but not the studying part. Also, I didn’t really have the finances to go to college.”
After high school he got a job with a construction company and ended up helping John with his school expenses.
“He got me through my first year of college,” said John, who had no second thoughts about going to college right after high school for electrical engineering.
“I’ve been interested in electricity since as long as I can remember,” he said. “When they wired our home in 1952, even then I was following the electrician around.”
Meanwhile, the engineers and architects working with Dick noticed his talent.
“It was obvious that the things we were doing seemed to come naturally for me, so they started asking me when I was going to go to college,” Dick said.
He still had his suspicions about higher education, but he thought if he and John were there together, perhaps he could do it.
“I probably wouldn’t have went if it weren’t for him,” said Dick. “It made it easier for me because I saw him doing it.”
November 2023
Gordon Lakso (MetE 64) was asked to go on a blind date with his future wife, Lynn, in 1969. He had just moved to Berkeley, CA for a job.
“He said ‘yes’ and I never let him go,” said Lynn.
The two were married in 1970. Lynn was (and still is) a California girl, but she learned to love South Dakota through her husband. She also learned to love South Dakota Mines, her husband’s alma mater.
Gordon grew up a farm boy in the Black Hills, attending a one-room schoolhouse in Belle Fourche.
“When you look at where education took him, it’s a remarkable story,” said Lynn. “His mom was a school teacher, and his parents encouraged all three of their boys to further their education. All three graduated from college. His parents were his inspiration for going to college.”
Gordon was very gifted in math, winning state-wide contests. His talent got him a scholarship to South Dakota Mines. After Mines he went on to get his master’s degree at Iowa State University. His first job was as a metallurgist for the Army in Huntsville, AL. Then he moved to Berkeley for a job with Anamet Laboratories where he stayed until mid-90s when he decided to become a consultant. He had a successful consulting business for 22 years.
Left: Alumni and friends gather at Gunbarrel Ranch in December 2022 for the 4th annual pheasant-hunting fundraiser.
Gunbarrel Ranch is not just another good place to go pheasant hunting in South Dakota. The 2200-acre private ranch sits in a narrow sweet spot where all four upland hunting birds reside: pheasants, partridge, prairie chickens, and grouse. Steve Grove (ChE 71), the ranch owner, has specifically designed and plants the ranch for the ultimate hunting experience. The 12,000-square foot luxury lodge has 10 large guest suites showcasing western history. Gourmet dining is complimented by an extensive wine cellar.
Gunbarrel Ranch is hunted only during four, three-day hunts each year. One of these occasions is a fundraiser for South Dakota Mines, which has generated more than $275,000 for the unrestricted scholarship fund since its inception.
Come join us next year in supporting students and experiencing upland bird hunting at its best. Contact Ron.Jeitz@sdsmt.edu for more information.
Those interested in attending this event in the future can expect:
• 15-20 high quality shots at fast-flying pheasants each day• Watching the skilled guides and their five Labradors work the fields like an orchestra• Engaging conversations with other alumni sharing life lessons and personal stories• A special evening with the President of South Dakota Mines which includes discussions about the university’s future• Three days and four nights of relaxation, rejuvenation, and enjoyment
Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort in years past!
- Paul Axtell (ChE 68)
January 2023
If you ask Trudy (ChE 84) and Rich Wells (ChE 82) what this world needs more of, their answer would be: engineers.
“We need more problem solvers,” said Rich, former vice president at Dow, I’ve seen a lot of engineers during my professional career, and I feel like I can objectively say that South Dakota Mines is at the top in terms of producing people who know how to solve a problem and make something better.”
That’s why Trudy and Rich have not only given a generous $1 million donation to the university’s New Heights campaign, but they’ve decided to retire in Rapid City so they can donate their time to Mines.
“It goes back to everything this university has given us,” said Trudy, who also spent time at Dow as well as 3M, as a development officer. “Mines has given us the foundation to do what we were able to do all those years. And it’s been a very satisfying career.”
Trudy and Rich met when they were students at Mines in the early 80s, but it wasn’t until a Mines reunion in 1985 that both realized they may have found their life partner. Their careers took them to Texas, the Netherlands, Michigan and then back to Texas. Rich, who grew up in Austin, MN, compares their choice to retire in Rapid City to his choice to attend Mines instead of the University of Minnesota.
“I was all set to go to the University of Minnesota, but my dad said, ‘Don’t discount that School of Mines place,’ he said. So, he visited campus with his mother and fell in love with the personality of the campus as he saw students interacting on the quad. He also appreciated the individualized attention he received from the department head, who was curious about his goals and didn’t hesitate to arrange meetings with other professors. By noon Rich told his mother, “This is where I’m coming.”
June 2022
Most students don’t start giving back to their alma mater immediately following graduation. But Abby Hart (IE/Math 12) of Sidney, MT isn’t most students. Right after starting her first job, she started supporting scholarships at South Dakota Mines. Now, 10 years later, she’s decided to move from an annual scholarship gift to an endowed scholarship fund.
“It’s a choice that depends on your personal situation and financial state, but I think when most people reflect on their time at Mines - the highlights and all the great things they gained from being a student here – they will realize the value of giving back,” she said.
Abby, Material Flow Engineer with John Deere in Horicon, WI, has many great memories of friends and a lot of gratitude for her professors; but one thing she’ll never forget is how helpful it was to receive many scholarships.
“Those kinds of things I remember and am very grateful for,” she said. “That’s why when I left school, I thought ‘I have a really good job now, so why not? I was given these opportunities as a student, so because I can, I should give back.’”
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