When Randy Parcel (MineE 67) and Marv Truhe (ME 67) met at South Dakota Mines over 60 years ago, they couldn’t have imagined that their bond—first forged in a debate team meeting and strengthened through lifelong friendship—would one day rekindle a tradition that could shape generations of engineers and scientists to come.
This spring, the university held the inaugural Howard Wells Speaking Competition, a student speech contest named in honor of the beloved coach who once guided a passionate, tight-knit group of student debaters—including Parcel and Truhe—through tournaments across the country. The event marked not just a celebration of communication, but the revival of a skillset often overlooked in technical education: the power of persuasive, clear speech.
“It was incredible,” said Parcel. “The presentations were all different—no rubber stamping. I was tickled to death to see so many people show up.” Continue reading here.
May 2025
When Linda Rausch (ChemE 75) arrived on the South Dakota Mines campus, she didn’t know anyone—but that didn’t last long. Like so many others, she quickly found her footing in the close-knit community of students who shared not just classes but aspirations. “There’s something about going to college and living on campus that has nothing to do with the academics—it’s the social part,” she says. “It was a special time.”
That sense of community would go on to shape her career, her friendships, and her future marriage to Scott Rausch (EE 75), who would leave a lasting legacy at Mines through his work developing the university’s avionics curriculum.
Linda was drawn to chemical engineering thanks to a love of chemistry sparked by a great high school teacher—and a scholarship that made attending Mines possible. Her older brother, already an engineer, showed her that it could lead to a good job. What she didn’t anticipate was being one of only a handful of women on campus. “There were only two girls in most of my classes,” she recalls. “But the guys didn’t discount us. There were probably a few jerks, but the student body was accepting. Maybe more so than the administration back then.” Continue reading here.
For Scott (ME 96) and Abbie (IE 96) Wickersham, South Dakota Mines isn’t just an alma mater—it’s the foundation of their personal and professional lives. Originally from Gettysburg, South Dakota, Scott was strongly influenced by his older brother to attend Mines. The couple met while attending the university, where they not only earned engineering degrees but also laid the groundwork for lasting friendships, successful careers, and a lifelong connection to the institution. They now live in Brandon, South Dakota, and have four children—Taylor, Alex, Luke, and Josey. Luke and Josey are currently attending Mines, continuing the family’s connection to the school.
“Our family is, without a doubt, the most important thing we got from Mines,” Scott comments. “We’ve built a wonderful life together, and the circle of friends we made there are still some of our closest. It’s a special place that means a lot to us.”
They’ve remained connected to Mines, coming back for sporting events and continuing to champion the school’s growth and student success. Scott, who played football at Mines, still carries a passion for the Hardrockers. “Many of our lasting relationships were built in the dorms, through my fraternity, and as teammates on the Hardrocker football team,” he shares. “When I look at today’s student-athletes, I’m incredibly impressed by their commitment and the challenges they overcome. That experience will pay dividends for the rest of their lives—not just in sports, but in everything they do.” Continue reading.
April 2025
One thing that holds true for every South Dakota Mines graduate is knowing that your degree can take you anywhere and open doors you never thought possible. From government and military engineering contracts to exploring the depths of the Earth, anything is possible for South Dakota Mines graduates – even becoming an National Football League (NFL) referee.
Brandon Cruse (IE 2005) grew up watching the Minnesota Vikings with his dad and playing football, all the way through high school. He loved the sport but knew he wasn’t going to be a college athlete.
“I ultimately had a Vitamin S deficiency,” he said. “I lacked speed, strength, and size.”
After taking a tour and getting connected with Dr. Carter Kerk, Brandon decided to attend South Dakota Mines, starting in 2001. Dr. Kerk then went on to become a great mentor during Brandon’s years in school. He knew he was going to be an IE grad from the beginning, especially after hearing him speak about the degree. The way it was laid out made sense and after receiving scholarship money, he knew it was the right choice for him.
While in school, he started refereeing and officiating high school football games on the evenings and weekends.
“I was just looking for a way to stay connected to the game,” he said. “I had no idea that I would grow to love officiating as much as I do now. I started at 19 years old as a sophomore in college and I never looked back.” Continue reading here.
March 2025
Andrea Brickey (MinE 99) has been connected to South Dakota Mines for over 30 years, and in those 30 years has received countless awards and recognitions, but she humbly accredits all of that back to the school, rather than her own accomplishments.
“In some ways it’s a recognition of this institution, that our education is valued here in what we do,” she said. “That we are one of the leaders in the mining industry in the United States and that our service we provide has an impact on the industry in the United States and beyond.”
Andrea graduated in 1999 and was told at the time by a professor and mentor, Charles (Chuck) Kliche (MinE 74), that she should go get some experience and a PhD, then come back and take his job teaching.
“I thought he was joking, but I showed up a year before he retired, so I guess he played the long game and was right,” she said.
Prior to coming back to teach, Andrea gained an extensive amount of experience in the mining industry, starting off her career at a copper mine in southern Nevada. She traveled and moved around a lot with her company, working in such places as Idaho, Montana, Venezuela, Canada, South Africa, and Denver. After several years of traveling and consulting, she decided it was time to settle down in one place and met her husband, who also was a Mines physics alum. Continue reading here.
January 2025
“When dinosaurs ruled the Earth” is something kids grew up hearing from the wildly popular Jurassic Park series. For many, the Jurassic Park franchise became a staple in households with kids and quickly became many children’s favorite movies. For others, like Kelsey Mills (PALEO 2023) and Kayleigh Johnson (GEOL 2017 and PALEO 2018), it became their career and their passion.
Kelsey and Kayleigh, both hailing from Colorado, grew up with a passion for the natural world around them and a spirit of exploration. Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains, outdoor activities were part of both of their lives from an early age.
“Both of my parents fostered this curiosity, particularly in the geosciences and paleontology,” Kayleigh said. “I loved exploring and being outside and finding cool things on our land.”
Kelsey had a similar upbringing, especially when growing up alongside a mom who worked for the USGS. This led her to develop a love for rocks and geology and helped her achieve her bachelor’s degree in geology with an emphasis in paleontology from Fort Hays State University. Read more here.
November 2024
The experiences that students get while attending South Dakota Mines often transcend well beyond the classroom, past the quad, across the stage at graduation, and into their careers and daily adult lives. Those experiences connect them in a unique way and instills a sense of pride in being alumni of South Dakota Mines. That feeling of community is what makes Sharon Chontos (ChemE 87) so excited to step back into a leadership role with the foundation as the incoming Honorary Alumni President.
“We have amazing alumni and I’m hoping to connect them back to the school,” she said. “Every job I’ve ever received has been through the alums. That alumni network is real and it’s working.”
Sharon was a first-generation student who attended South Dakota Mines after growing up on a farm in Dell Rapids, SD. At the time, she didn’t know any engineers and didn’t know what engineers did, but she knew that she liked chemistry and math, so she decided to go for a chemical engineering degree. Read more here.
October 2024
Like many in-state students, Gary Christman (ChE 73.5) came from a farming background. He quickly discovered that many of the skills he acquired on the farm were applicable to his studies and beyond.
Gary grew up on the family farm outside of Lemmon, South Dakota and as he pondered college choices, he received many recommendations from friends and family to attend South Dakota Mines. Several of his high school classmates also ended up attending Mines; in fact, 9 of 81 in his graduating class went on to study at Mines. Two siblings – Jim (CE ’72) and Julie (C SC ’83) also went to SD Mines.
Gary chose Chemical Engineering as his major because of his admiration of his freshman Chemistry teacher Dr. Willard and because it would be “aiming high” as he had been encouraged to do. The problem-solving skills acquired at Mines and the idea to always aim high proved to be the keys to success in the business world that took him places that he didn’t expect when he started at school. Read more here.
September 2024
Many students who attend South Dakota Mines leave behind a family legacy of attending the school. Generations of family members often walk across campus, all with their own story and legacy. This holds true for the Cullen family. Bill Cullen (Csc 87) and his father Dennis Cullen (ChE 62) both attended and graduated from South Dakota Mines, and while she didn’t graduate, Bill’s mother, Dianne Duffy (Cullen) also attended the school as a math major.
With each generation that passes through the campus, more and more change takes place, both on campus and within each family. The Cullen family have seen many changes take place on campus. When Dennis attended school, the Surbeck Center did not exist yet; when Bill attended Mines, the Mineral Industries building wasn’t even a thought yet. When Dennis attended school, tuition cost $198 and his starting salary was $5,600. Now, in 2024, tuition for in state residents is $10,500 and starting salary is over $73,000.
The one thing that has not changed, over the years, however, is the quality of education received at Mines and the doors of opportunity that it opens. Continue reading here.
August 2024
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Former South Dakota Mines President Jim Rankin looks ahead at retirement
Take a stroll across campus and it is very clear the impact that former President Jim Rankin (EE 78) had on South Dakota Mines. The footprint of the campus alone is different thanks to his six years of leadership in the head office. With the addition of the Nucor Mineral Industries building, the renovation of the Deveraux Library, and countless other accomplishments, he recently retired with his eyes on a new goal: travel a lot and spend time with family.
After graduating from South Dakota Mines with an electrical engineering degree in 1978, Dr. Rankin went on to work in industry and also worked to obtain a masters and doctorate degree, both from Iowa State University. After working in industry, he thought maybe it was time to try teaching, so he worked his way into higher education, eventually serving as the vice provost for research and economic development at the University of Arkansas. He has also served within leadership roles at Ohio State University, as a professor at St. Cloud State University, and as an engineer at Rockwell-Collins.
Dr. Rankin echoed what many alumni have said over the years, that the community and relationships that are made at the South Dakota Mines campus is what makes it a special school. Continue reading here.
July 2024
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Terry Mudder (CHEM 74) saved the fish in Whitewood Creek, but that is only one of his impressive accomplishments in his career. He has received many awards, started his own business with his wife, wrote a handful of books and published articles, and was even the first inductee for the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame. However, he says he’s most proud of having his band inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Terry grew up in Sioux Falls to worker bee parents who instilled a solid work ethic in him. In 1974, he graduated from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with high honors. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Organic and Analytical Chemistry and a Doctorate degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Iowa summa cum laude.
Terry and his wife, Dr. Karen Hagelstein, married in 1974 and immediately started following opportunities wherever they were. Terry’s early career focused on water management and treatment for power companies, and Karen’s focused on the health, environmental, air quality, and toxicology arena. Continue reading here.
June 2024
Attending a school like South Dakota Mines is no easy feat, especially when finances stand in the way. But Mines students are nothing if not tenacious, hard-working, and believe where there’s a will, there’s a way to an education. So when Jerry DesJarlais (CE 57) needed to find a way to get through school, he did, and now he works to help guarantee that finances don’t stand in the way of other students achieving their dreams.
Jerry started at South Dakota Mines in 1953 with only $900 in his pocket. He quickly got involved in the music program on campus and was able to put himself through school by playing his trombone and working 40 hours a week.
“I started with nothing,” Jerry said. “I had to work every hour. If I didn’t work, I didn’t pay tuition. I made my way, all the way, from the sixth grade all the way up.”
Jerry was the first one in his family to graduate from college, instilling a sense of pride in him and his family.
“They didn’t think I was going to make it through the Mines,” he recalled. “They looked at the place with awe, and so did I. And I climbed the mountain.” Continue reading here.
May 2024
Erin McCullough uses her expertise to create positive change in nuclear work environments
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.
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. Continue reading here.
January 2024
Most alumni agree that one of the best things – maybe THE best thing – about South Dakota Mines is the traditions and campus experiences that form strong connections. These connections aren’t easily lost, and for some, they become the reason two people might strike up a conversation in the first place.
That was the case with Christina (ChemE 12) and Shawn (CE 09) McFarland when they met through mutual friends in Denver in 2013. They quickly realized they had both attended South Dakota Mines, and the rest was history.
“Having that shared experience was a fun way to get to know someone,” Christina said. “It was a commonality that made it feel like we already knew one another despite not having met while on campus.”
Christina and Shawn were married in 2016. They now have two children, Finn (3) and Remi (1).
While their pride for their alma mater may have initially stemmed from the strong education, campus experiences and friends they made, it now extends beyond that. Once they reached milestones such as getting married, buying a home, and starting a family, Christina and Shawn realized their degrees from Mines offered something more tangible than that – a strong return on their investment.
Continue reading here.
February 2024
NASA has a rich history in developing technologies that benefit both space travel and exploration that also contribute value back to life on Earth. For example, Velcro was a NASA-developed technology created to resist vibrations during launch and flight. Of course, now it is used on Earth for everything from hanging pictures to kids’ shoes.
Jared Long-Fox (Geol 17, Geol 20) aims to continue this tradition of technology development benefitting space exploration and society in general, as he is conducting NASA-sponsored research right now that he thinks will benefit Earth one day, too.
Jared, a PhD student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), was accepted this year as a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) Fellow, a competitive program that accepts students with the potential to support NASA’s goal to establish permanent human and robotic presence on the moon and beyond.
His planetary surface excavation research will help develop technologies that will make it more efficient and safer to build infrastructure and acquire resources on the lunar surface. This will be key for NASA, because the tough-to-work-with physical properties of the Moon’s surface material (regolith), combined with its having only 1/6 the amount of gravity as Earth, present quite the challenge when it comes to excavation and surface operations in general. Continue reading here.
December 2023
Mitchell Sueker's a winner both on and off the court
When Mitchell Sueker was a first-year student-athlete at Mines in 2017, he was asked why he was proud to be a part of the Hardrocker Men’s Basketball Program. His response was, “I’m proud to be a part of a family that challenges themselves in the classroom as well as on the court. We strive to be great in many areas of life, in addition to basketball.”
It was pretty evident that while he was committed to being a great basketball player at Mines, at the forefront of Mitchell’s mind was his ability to excel in multiple aspects of his life.
Now, at just 25 years old, you can tell he took that to heart. After graduating from Mines in just three years with his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Mitchell went on to the University of North Dakota for his master’s degree and doctorate in biomedical engineering, which he plans to complete this year. And he’s done it all while continuing to play college basketball.
During his time with Mines, Mitchell was recognized as a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, a two-time RMAC All-Conference honoree, and a two-time RMAC All-Academic First Team selection. Continue reading here.
October 2023
Bruce Bad Moccasin (CE 72) left his mark on Mines, and then on South Dakota
One of Bruce Bad Moccasin’s (CE 72) memories from growing up in Pierre is of watching his dad work.
“My dad worked a lot. He worked outside. I watched him all the time. He was a strong man.”
Seeing his dad work with his hands, Bruce decided at a young age that he wanted to be an engineer. Higher education was a priority to his parents, both of whom had an eighth grade education. They made it known that Bruce was expected to attend college.
“My mom said it didn’t matter what I did as long as I went. Dad always said, ‘Get your degree first, then make a family.’”
Since he’d decided on engineering, the only part left to figure out was which college he’d attend.
“I knew a lot of students were going over there to [South Dakota State University]. I went up there to check it out, but it was too big. I wanted a smaller place.”
Not too long after, at one of his high school track meets, he met Coach Jim Kampen from South Dakota Mines. Kampen was a coach for basketball and cross country.
“He came up to me and said, ‘Someone said you want to be an engineer. Well, you can do that here, and we’ll also let you run and play basketball.’ So that’s what I did.” Continue reading here.
September 2023
Even when all of the cards were stacked against him – when most people probably would have thrown in the towel – Hani Shafai (CE 87) never gave up on his dream to become an engineer. Never.
And it wasn’t just the degree that he wanted; he wanted to improve communities and improve peoples’ lives, and he knew he could do that as an engineer. Hani had experienced enough during his childhood to understand that he wanted to be a builder, and to him, building cross-community relationships and apartment complexes went hand in hand.
It only takes one conversation with Hani about his background to understand just how much determination he must have had to make his goal a reality. Hani grew up in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian exclave that has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967.
“The environment I grew up in was a war zone” he said. “There was always destruction. So that gets you thinking, ‘how do I make things that can protect people and help people?’
His journey to South Dakota Mines started at a university in West Bank, Palestine where he met Jack Anderson, visiting math professor from Hill City, SD. When that university shut down a year later due to political conflicts, Jack encouraged Hani to transfer to Mines and continue his education there.
“I didn’t tell anyone that I was leaving, not even my parents. I knew that it would be difficult, and I also didn’t know when I would be able to go back.” Continue reading here.
August 2023
If you would have told Andrea Brickey (MinE 99) as an undergraduate that she would one day return to South Dakota Mines as a professor, she probably would have laughed.
“Being a professor was not on my list of things to do,” she said.
But 16 years later that’s exactly what she did. And not only that – she moved into the office of retiring professor Charles (Chuck) Kliche (MinE 74), her mentor and the very person who suggested she become an educator in the first place.
“He told me I should go out and get industry experience and then get a Ph.D. and come back and move into his office. I showed up a year before he left, so I guess he was right.”
Dr. Brickey is now in her eighth year with the Department of Mining Engineering & Management and was recently promoted to Full Professor. This year she received the 2023 Mining and Exploration Division Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration, an organization she’s belonged to since her undergraduate years. The award honors members who have made outstanding contributions to the mining and exploration division.
Dr. Brickey’s path to the mining industry and to engineering started early on. Her father spent most of his career in mining and was working as a coal miner in southern Illinois when she was born. Perhaps that’s why, years later when she landed at South Dakota Mines, the mining department felt like the best fit for her. Continue reading here.
July 2023
Toward the end of his commencement speech this May, Chami Senarath (Physics 18, MS Physics 21, CSc 23) reminded his fellow graduates that they have the power to choose how to move forward during challenging times.
“We all have and are going to experience suffering at some point. We can either not acknowledge it and take it out on other people…or we can be defiant and accept that suffering is part of life too and transform it into something beautiful, into some sort of healing state.”
Chami has learned this from experience. He left Sri Lanka, reluctantly, in 2014 to study in America, and most of what he can remember from those early months was sadness and anxiety. While he knew English, it was difficult communicating at first, having to translate every sentence in his head before speaking it. And, of course, all of his surroundings were unfamiliar. He remembers crying a lot.
“I thought many times about going back home,” he said. “It was very overwhelming trying to figure out what I enjoyed and how to relate to other people.”
But in the midst of all of this adversity, he decided to do something brave. He changed his mindset completely and went way outside his comfort zone. Despite not knowing anything about snow, fraternities or sheet music, Chami joined the Clean Snowmobile Team, Lambda Chi Alpha and several music ensembles at Mines. He also took part in the Friday night dinners at the International House and recognizes now how important the house staff and other students were to his experience. Continue reading here.
June 2023
If you ask the right questions, you can accomplish anything. That’s something Grant Nelson (ME 19) learned when he was a student at South Dakota Mines.
“Being a student at Mines sort of reprograms your brain to first consider, ‘What questions should I be asking?’” he said.
He put that philosophy to work in his class projects, as a member and president of the Formula CAMP team, and even now in his current role with Graco in Minneapolis. In just four years with the company, Grant has moved from Field Application Sales Engineer to Technical Application Specialist and now to Global Product Manager working in the fluid handling industry.
Part of his job entails inspiring others who are working toward a common objective. It was with the Formula team at Mines that Grant, of Fargo, ND, noticed his knack for leadership and his love of working with others toward a similar goal.
“I found it very rewarding to see all of us get on the same page,” he said. “[CAMP] is where I learned just how much can get accomplished even in a short period of time when everyone is aligned and has a single greater purpose.”
And Grant knows something about accomplishing a lot in a short period of time. Continue reading here.
May 2023
After holding several global leadership positions, founding his own private firm, and serving on several public and private company boards, Gaurdie Banister Jr. (MetE 80) thinks he gained one of the most important leadership skills from his alma mater.
“South Dakota Mines is where I learned how to learn,” he said. “That ability has helped me a lot throughout my career, especially when it comes to solving problems.”
And one look at Gaurdie’s bio makes it clear that he is just that – a problem solver. For 8 years, he led Aera Energy LLC, now recognized as a leader for its innovative approach toward lean manufacturing. Before that, he held several leadership positions for Shell, including Technical VP roles for its Upstream Asia Pacific and Upstream America operations as well as VP of Business Development and Technology and President of EP Gas and Power.
His experience on boards also indicates his willingness to tackle hard issues. During his time on the Tyson Foods board, he was Lead Director, chair of the Compensation and Leadership Committee and the Strategy and Acquisitions Committee. He currently sits on the board of the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity.
Solving problems is one of the reasons Gaurdie’s advisor urged him to look into South Dakota Mines.
“I was always tinkering with things as a kid. I liked to solve complex problems.”
His parents may have instilled that in him. Gaurdie grew up in Casper, Wyo. after his parents, in his words, “took a bold step.”
April 2023
Marv Truhe (ME 67) was 27 years old when racial tensions sparked the USS Kitty Hawk Riot of 1972. The aircraft carrier was engaged in airstrikes off the coast of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War when a conflict broke out between sailors the night of Oct. 12. Twenty-five black sailors were charged with rioting and assaults, while not a single white crew member was charged.
Marv, a US Navy JAG lawyer at the time, defended six of the black sailors at their special courts-martial trials. He started writing about the experience soon after, but between his career and starting a family, he could never give it the attention it deserved. But the events stuck with him, haunting him time and time again for nearly 50 years.
After the military, Marv served as Assistant Attorney General for South Dakota before entering private practice in Rapid City. When he retired, he decided it was time to tell the Kitty Hawk riot story that he felt had not been told. He published his book, “Against All Tides: The Untold Story of the Kitty Hawk Race Riot”, last year, marking the 50th anniversary of the event.
March 2023
Corinne Heiberger (IE 08) understands firsthand the importance of having a mentor in the workplace. When she took a job as a plant engineer in Utah, she became the first female engineer at that site. And it wasn’t easy.
“It took a lot of work to become a part of that team,” she said. “I definitely had pranks pulled on me on a regular basis. But thankfully I had great mentors who helped me through.”
It wasn’t the first or last time she’d be the only woman in the room. It started when she was an industrial engineering student at South Dakota Mines. While this remains a reality for many women STEM students, one big difference on the Mines campus is the Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE) Program.
Corinne has been director of WiSE since Fall of 2020. The program’s purpose is to educate, recruit, retain, graduate academically motivated women in STEM fields. Aside from having a dedicated space on campus, WiSE has several core programs that support its students – peer mentoring, panel discussions with women in industry, an orientation for incoming students, a formal networking dinner with industry representatives who are on campus for the career fair, and a new WiSE Scholars program that awards scholarships to a small group of women who are required to meet GPA requirements and complete other assignments such as meet with Corinne for mentoring.
“My professors here were always very supportive, but I know other women who have different stories. We want to be here for all of them - the women who haven’t felt supported and feel stuck in the shadows, while continuing to empower those who have had positive experiences. And we also want to prepare them to be the best they can be in an industry in which they will likely be a minority.”
February 2023
When Jerry Logan (MinE 83) was a student at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, it never crossed his mind to talk to the Navy submarine recruiters when they were on campus. He had never really considered going into the military, and current events at that time didn’t necessarily turn him on to the idea. Plus, the Belle Fourche native had a keen interest in engineering and saw himself entering the mining field after graduation.
However, several role models, a book, and a recession aided in his decision to consider the military. One of the first people to plant that seed was one of his football coaches at Mines who happened to be a captain stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
“He was a very sharp and caring person who challenged you to do well, and that was one of my closest interactions with someone in the military,” said Jerry.
Additionally, one of his seven sisters was in ROTC in college, and another had been appointed to the Air Force Academy. But perhaps the most pivotal connection was another sister’s brother-in-law who was in the Navy. He told Jerry about the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
“That caught my attention, and at the time I was also reading a book about John F. Kennedy which talked about his time in WWII. I thought, maybe I’ll give this a try. I’ll go see a little bit of the world and then I’ll come back and go to work in a mine in Wyoming.”
Jerry figured he would stay in the Navy for just one, five-year commitment. However, 30 years later he retired as a Navy Captain. When asked why he didn’t stick to his five-year plan, he recalls his commanding officer as a shift engineer at a reactor plant in Idaho.
November 2022
Lisa Zacher, M.D., MACP, FCCP (Chem 85) knew from a young age that she wanted to help people, and specifically that she wanted to go into medicine or science.
“We didn’t have any history of doctors in our family, and everyone always had so much respect for the town physician.”
Dr. Zacher calls Eagle Butte her hometown even though the family moved around a lot due to her father’s occupation as a coach. Her mother, a teacher, would bring home extra homework assignments for her and her siblings that were sometimes a level or two above their current grade.
The extra studying and appreciation for learning certainly paid off when Lisa and her older brother, Dr. Jeff Zacher (Chem 83), became students at South Dakota Mines and again when both were medical students at the University of South Dakota. She remembers looking at the courses listed in the academic catalog at Mines and thinking “I want to take them all,” even if they weren’t required for her major.
“We knew that School of Mines was where the students good in math and science went, and in Eagle Butte they called it the ‘School of Minds’ so that’s where we wanted to go,” she said. "I did not know when I started at Mines that there was a pathway to medicine – but the Chemistry degree worked out well, and I was an early select for USD based on the reputation of South Dakota Mines."
She commented that in many ways, she found Mines to be more challenging than medical school. Perhaps she remembers it as more challenging since she wasn’t just balancing her academics but was juggling life as a three-sport athlete. Dr. Zacher played basketball and volleyball for four years at Mines, picking up track in her senior year. She was inducted into the Hardrocker Hall of Fame in 2008.
While Dr. Zacher envisioned her future as a doctor when she was just a child, she never predicted that she would join the military and spend her career serving our country’s veterans. But what started as a military scholarship with the Army to help pay for medical school ended up a passion.
January 2023
Todd Gagne (GEOL 97) said one of the most important pieces of knowledge he gained from his education at South Dakota Mines was the ability to look at almost any problem and say: I can figure this out. That’s what he and his wife, Holly (CSC 94), said when they were asked to run Thrive, a nonprofit associated with Love INC.
Thrive provides two main services: a juvenile diversion program where youth gain community service hours in exchange for fixing up donated bicycles; and a program for adults who need transportation – if they can put in a few hours of work on a bike of their choosing, it’s theirs to keep, along with a helmet and a lock. Similar to other Love INC services, individuals are referred to Thrive from nonprofits such as Hope Center and Cornerstone.
Both Holly and Todd admit they didn’t really know what they were getting into when they decided to take on Thrive. The first phase of their professional lives looked a lot different than running a nonprofit. Holly worked for Microsoft for eight years before having their two children. Todd worked for a software company for 19 years which involved a lot of global travel. While the job provided many opportunities and experiences, the time away from his family started to take a toll on them.
The opportunity to run Thrive came at the right time. It had already been operating under Love INC, but it needed a new building and a new operations model.
“We’re both pretty driven, Type A people, so it wasn’t always easy,” Todd says with a laugh. “But we both believed in a vision of where we wanted to go, and we both bring different skills to the table.”
While Thrive’s programs offer obvious benefits to the community and those involved, the Gagnes have found that it’s about much more than a bike for the participants and the volunteers. For the adults, reliable transportation can lead to a stable job, then to the ability to afford housing, and more. For youth, the program can provide a stabilizing force in their lives as well as an opportunity to explore interests and possible careers. Some of the youth participate just because they’re interested in working on bikes.
Read the full story here.
December 2022
When Scott Lehr (CE 84) was 5 years old, he sent a letter to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) asking if watches worked in space. Not only did NASA answer his question, but they continued to send him mail for several years.
“They sent me materials for years on the human space mission, so I have a big folder with all these NASA fact sheets and pictures of astronauts.”
That was the beginning of Lehr’s lifelong interest, both personal and professional, with science – space, in particular. He grew up in Aberdeen, SD during the Apollo days and remembers watching the moon landing in 1969.
It’s no surprise Lehr wanted to attend South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. The school had a great reputation locally and regionally and also had good relationships with many companies in the industry. As a student, he valued the small class sizes and dedicated professors who came with lots of industry experience. He remembers they would gladly spend time helping students get through tough courses.
Even though he studied civil engineering, he never lost his interest in aerospace engineering. The Cold War was still in full swing as he neared graduation, and the Berlin Wall hadn’t yet fallen. The defense industry was booming. His advisor, Bill Coyle, who Lehr remembers fondly, wanted him to remain a civil engineer. But Lehr couldn’t kick his initial love of space. He decided his civil engineering studies from Mines taught him enough of the fundamentals that he could veer in another direction if he wanted.
Nearly 39 years later, he’s glad he took the risk. And according to Lehr, he didn’t have much of a choice after his first time witnessing a rocket launch.
August 2022
When Terry Rasmussen (MetE 91) graduated from South Dakota Mines, he never imagined he’d go on to have such a big role in the university’s history. But on April 21, he found himself on campus with his colleagues at Nucor, celebrating the company’s $5 million gift – the largest yet for the university – for a new Mineral Industries building.
“I certainly didn’t think when I graduated that I’d be doing this, but it was my relationship with Dr. [John] Keller that kept me in touch with the university and thinking about what we could do to make the relationship between Nucor and Mines better,” he said.
Terry, now metal shop coordinator in Norfolk and coming up on 30 years with Nucor, started as a metallurgist and went on to hold a number of positions with the company. In the early 2000’s, he and Keller started to realize the potential for recruiting Mines students to Norfolk and throughout Nucor. Terry started to post jobs with the university and come out to career fairs, which led to hiring several interns.
“It can be difficult to convince qualified people to move to Norfolk from Pittsburgh or Chicago, for example, and we noticed there were a lot of Mines students who were a good fit for Nucor,” he said.
Not long after, Mines alumni were working in multiple divisions within Nucor, peaking the company’s interest in developing more of a relationship with the university.
April 2022
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