MGE Welcomes Kray Luxbacher as Department Head

Kray Luxbacher is the new department head of the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.

Luxbacher joins the UA after working as a faculty member at the Department of Mining and Minerals at Virginia Tech since 2008 and as department head since 2019. An expert in atmospheric monitoring, ventilation system characterization, mine fire simulation and prevention, and mine risk analysis, she will serve as the inaugural Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair of Mining and Geological Engineering.

Luxbacher earned her BS, MS and PhD in mining engineering from Virginia Tech. She was the first female tenure-track professor hired in her department and served as the faculty advisor for the Bevlee Watford Society for Diversity and Inclusion in Mining at Virginia Tech. Originally called Women in Mining, the club expanded over the years to include a wider population, a shift that Luxbacher sees as important for the entire mining industry.

“Mining engineering provides really dynamic, high-paying, fun careers,” she said. “The fact that there aren’t more women and more underrepresented minorities in the industry is a disservice to everyone. In particular, the global nature of the industry and the complex engineering challenges it presents, require diverse groups of engineers."

Luxbacher joins two additional new department heads at the College of Engineering: Farzad Mashayek of aerospace and mechanical engineering and Michael Wu of electrical and computer engineering.

“We are thrilled to have these exceptionally well-qualified department heads and delighted that we continue to attract such top talent to the college,” said David W. Hahn, Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering.