MGE Seniors Win Second Place At SME Mine Design Competition

A team of MGE seniors won second place at the 2020 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition. The team, consisting of Cole Cashin, Tony Holmes, Chad Julius, Gabriella Archunde, and Will Peterson, was tasked with designing a sand and gravel mine near Washington D.C.

The The two-stage competition, sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, involves a technical design stage and an oral presentation stage. According to SME, combining these two categories provides the basis for most engineering work once the students enter the mining industry. In this way, the students can be involved in a “real-world” engineering problem and solution prior to graduation. Each year, two teams from the UA enter the competition -- one group of seniors and another of juniors.

"The team did a terrific job with the written portion of Phase 1 and the Phase 2 presentation was exceptional," said Brad Ross, professor of practice in MGE, director of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence at the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources and the team's mentor. "This team has set a great example for the junior team, who have already started planning to compete again next year."

While the students benefited from the hands-on experience with the software, they also learned the teamwork and time management skills it takes to complete an extensive planning project on a deadline.

“Something that really stood out to the judges was the quality of our models,” Cashin said. “We received a lot of compliments from those who enjoy the engineering and technical side. A lot of compliments on the 3D models, the block model and pit model as well.”