South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Encyclopedia
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T, Tech, or Mines) is a public institution of higher learning in Rapid City, South Dakota
governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents
. Founded in 1885 as the Dakota School of Mines, Tech offers degree programs in engineering and science fields. 2,354 students were enrolled in fall 2010. The school athletic teams are called the Hardrockers.
Bachelor of Science Programs (B.S.)
Associates Degree (A.A.)
General Studies
Master of Science Programs (Masters) Atmospheric Sciences,
Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical Engineering,
Chemistry,
Civil Engineering,
Electrical Engineering,
Geology and Geological Engineering,
Materials Engineering and Science,
Metallurgical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering,
Paleontology,
Physics,
Robotics and Intelligent Autonomous Systems,
Technology Management
Doctoral Programs (Ph.D) Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences,
Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Geology and Geological Engineering,
Materials Engineering and Science,
Mechanical Engineering,
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
, Alpha Chi Sigma
, Theta Tau
, and Delta Sigma Phi
. Sororities include Alpha Omega Epsilon
and Alpha Delta Pi
. Student government organizations include the Resident Hall Association and the Student Association. Student media organizations include KTEQ
(the campus radio station) and "the Aurum" (the campus newspaper, formerly known as "the Tech" and then "the Raver"). "The Aurum" is the original name of the school newspaper, first published in November, 1901. The newspaper changed its name back to "The Aurum" in January 2010. The campus radio station, KTEQ, was started in 1971 and airs a diverse programming format. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
, Lutheran Campus Ministry, United Campus Ministries, and the Newman Center are some of the many Christian and religious groups operating on campus. Service organizations on campus include Circle K and Gamers for Service.
. In 2010, the school announced they had been accepted into the NCAA Division II level and will spend two years in a probationary period as they search for a conference.
, located less than 50 miles away in Spearfish, South Dakota
. The last football game of the regular season between the two schools is called the Black Hills Brawl, which the winner gets the travelling Homestake Trophy.
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents
South Dakota Board of Regents
The South Dakota Board of Regents governs South Dakota's six public universities: Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota...
. Founded in 1885 as the Dakota School of Mines, Tech offers degree programs in engineering and science fields. 2,354 students were enrolled in fall 2010. The school athletic teams are called the Hardrockers.
Academics
Mines offers degrees in more than 16 engineering and science fields, as well as 12 master's degree programs and 7 Doctorate programs.Bachelor of Science Programs (B.S.)
- Chemical EngineeringChemical engineeringChemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
- ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
- Civil EngineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
- Computer EngineeringComputer engineeringComputer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
- Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
- Electrical EngineeringElectrical engineeringElectrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
- Environmental EngineeringEnvironmental engineeringEnvironmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural environment , to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites...
- Geological Engineering
- GeologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
- Industrial EngineeringIndustrial engineeringIndustrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
and Engineering Management - Interdisciplinary Sciences
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
(Applied and Computational) - Mechanical EngineeringMechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
- Metallurgical Engineering
- Mining EngineeringMining engineeringMining engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the practice, the theory, the science, the technology, and application of extracting and processing minerals from a naturally occurring environment. Mining engineering also includes processing minerals for additional value.Mineral...
and Management - PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Associates Degree (A.A.)
General Studies
Master of Science Programs (Masters) Atmospheric Sciences,
Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical Engineering,
Chemistry,
Civil Engineering,
Electrical Engineering,
Geology and Geological Engineering,
Materials Engineering and Science,
Metallurgical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering,
Paleontology,
Physics,
Robotics and Intelligent Autonomous Systems,
Technology Management
Doctoral Programs (Ph.D) Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences,
Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Geology and Geological Engineering,
Materials Engineering and Science,
Mechanical Engineering,
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
Campus
Mines currently has three residence halls: Connolly Hall, Palmerton Hall, and Peterson Hall. Connolly was built in the 1940s, Palmerton in the 1960s, and Peterson Hall in 2004. The three combined can house up to 660 students on-campus. After completion of Peterson Hall, in order to make room for additional parking, March/Dake Hall was demolished in 2006.Museum of Geology
Opening the same year as the school, the Museum of Geology collects, conserves, curates, interprets, and exhibits paleontologically and geologically significant objects and serves as the repository for such objects from South Dakota and the Northern Great Plains. The public exhibits of the museum have been housed since 1944 in second floor of the then newly-completed O'Harra Building, while the preparation laboratories and collections are held in the James E. Martin Paleontology Center, constructed in 2009.Student organizations
Fraternities on campus include TriangleTriangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
, Alpha Chi Sigma
Alpha Chi Sigma
Alpha Chi Sigma is a professional fraternity specializing in the field of chemistry. It has both collegiate and professional chapters throughout the United States consisting of both men and women and numbering more than 63,400 members...
, Theta Tau
Theta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
, and Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
. Sororities include Alpha Omega Epsilon
Alpha Omega Epsilon
Alpha Omega Epsilon is a social and professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. The sorority was founded by twenty-seven female engineering students at Marquette University on November 13, 1983, and four months later on March 22, 1984, it became a recognized organization...
and Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
. Student government organizations include the Resident Hall Association and the Student Association. Student media organizations include KTEQ
KTEQ
KTEQ or "K-Tech" is the campus radio station of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota. The station's daily schedule consists of shows that are three hours in length. The music formats of the radio shows vary according to the tastes of the volunteer DJ's doing...
(the campus radio station) and "the Aurum" (the campus newspaper, formerly known as "the Tech" and then "the Raver"). "The Aurum" is the original name of the school newspaper, first published in November, 1901. The newspaper changed its name back to "The Aurum" in January 2010. The campus radio station, KTEQ, was started in 1971 and airs a diverse programming format. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is an inter-denominational, evangelical Christian, student-led ministry which for the past 70 years has been dedicated to establishing witnessing communities on U.S. college and university campuses...
, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
, Lutheran Campus Ministry, United Campus Ministries, and the Newman Center are some of the many Christian and religious groups operating on campus. Service organizations on campus include Circle K and Gamers for Service.
Athletics
The athletic teams are called the Hardrockers, coming from its mining background. The school host a variety of college sports which include: football, basketball, volleyball, track, cross country, and golf. The athletic mascot name is Grubby the Miner. The school currently plays in the NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. In 2010, the school announced they had been accepted into the NCAA Division II level and will spend two years in a probationary period as they search for a conference.
West River Rivalry
SDSM&T's fiercest rival is with Black Hills State UniversityBlack Hills State University
Black Hills State University, South Dakota's third largest comprehensive public university, offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus is located in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 5,000 students attend classes at the Spearfish campus, at sites in Rapid City, Pierre, Yankton,...
, located less than 50 miles away in Spearfish, South Dakota
Spearfish, South Dakota
Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota,United States. The population was 10,494 at the 2010 census.- History :Prior to the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans who would spear fish in the creek...
. The last football game of the regular season between the two schools is called the Black Hills Brawl, which the winner gets the travelling Homestake Trophy.
Notable alumni
- James AbourezkJames AbourezkJames George Abourezk is a former Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator, and was the first Arab-American to serve in the United States Senate. He represented South Dakota in the U.S...
, former U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and the first Arab-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. - Ajmal ShamsAjmal ShamsEng. Ajmal Shams is the son of the late Shamsul Huda Shams, the former president of the Afghan Social Democratic Party...
, current president of the Afghan Social Democratic Party. - Frank Richardson, former President and CEO of Shell Oil.
- Leonard Schmid, former WWII U.S. Navy captain.
- Gary R. Veurink, Divisional Vice President of the Dow Chemical Company.
- Karen Swindler, Senior Vice President, North American Manufacturing of LyondellBasell Industries
- Kurt Kost, President, Alpha Natural ResourcesAlpha Natural ResourcesAlpha Natural Resources is a large American producer of metallurgical and thermal coal. It also provides services relating to equipment repairs, road construction and logistics . It doesn't produce all of the coal it sells, some is purchased and resold. Alpha operates in Virginia, West Virginia,...
. Past President of Society of Mining Engineers. - Tony JensenTony JensenTony Jensen born in Australia is a former rugby league player. He played for the Northern Eagles, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the St George-Illawarra Dragons as a second-row forward.-References:...
, President and CEO of Royal GoldRoyal GoldRoyal Gold is a precious metals company with royalty claims on gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc at mines in over 20 countries...
. - Richard H. Frank, President and CEO of Darby Emerging Markets Fund. Former Managing Director at the World Bank GroupWorld Bank GroupThe World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
. - Emery Stephans, President and CEO of Enterprise Analysis Corporation.
- Marty JackleyMarty JackleyMarty Jackley is the Attorney General for South Dakota. He was appointed Attorney General on September 4, 2009, after the prior Attorney General Larry Long was named a circuit court judge....
, Current Attorney General of South Dakota.