Lundin Family Gives $2M to Mining Programs

The family of two University of Arizona alumni has donated $2 million to help the university expand its highly ranked mining and geosciences programs and set the stage for an interdisciplinary school of mining engineering and mineral resources.

The Lundin family has made a $2 million commitment and will provide up to $2.5 million in addition in a challenge grant to match funds raised by December 2022. The family leads the Lundin Group, which comprises 14 publicly traded companies in the natural resource sector that operate in more than 25 countries.

"We are very excited to be supporting such an important initiative alongside the University of Arizona. The drive toward a safer, more sustainable and efficient mining operation requires the very best talent across many disciplines, not just mining engineering and geology," said Jack Lundin, president and CEO of Bluestone Resources Inc., one of the group's companies.

Lundin earned a master's degree in mining, geological and geophysical engineering at UA in 2016 and has served on the board of directors for the university's Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources since 2017.

"Mining has been an important part of the University of Arizona since its very beginning as a land-grant institution," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "We have been preparing students for mining careers for 130 years, and our alumni occupy leadership positions at mining operations across the globe. With this generous gift from the Lundin family, and the possibility of even more through the challenge, we have an opportunity to significantly advance our world-renowned efforts to ensure safe and sustainable extraction of the important materials we rely upon every day."