Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Awards Minerals Program $2.5M

A $2.5 million award from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation will help the University of Arizona advance responsible mining and use of materials through workforce development, research and industry solutions.

The award will be shared by the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering, the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources, and the Department of Geosciences' Lowell Program in Economic Geology.

"This support is an expression of confidence in and commitment to UArizona's mineral resources programs, which reflect the university's unique character – a special location in a world-class mining region, the lead university in one of the world's top mining technology centers, and an exceptionally broad and collaborative university," said Mark Barton, professor of geosciences. Barton is co-director of the Lowell Institute along with Mary Poulton, professor emerita of mining and geological engineering.

Freeport-McMoRan has partnered with UArizona for more than a decade, having donated more than $6 million to the university since 2005. The company's support of the college goes back even further – Phelps Dodge, a company Freeport-McMoRan acquired in 2007, has been contributing to the university since the 1940s, when it helped fund the construction of the Mines and Metallurgy building. This gift is given specifically through the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting the communities where the company operates.

UArizona is home to one of only 13 mining engineering programs in the nation accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc. Thus, it plays a critical role in preparing future mineral resource professionals for a world focused on sustainably sourced materials and technological advancements. The QS World University Rankings place the UArizona mining engineering program as third in the United States and 19th in the world.