Mining Summit Explores Region's Role as Innovation Hub

Professor Emerita Mary Poulton addresses delegates at the IMR mining summit. Poulton was inducted into the American Mining Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the college's first woman department head.

On Jan. 10, in a summit sponsored by the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources, the Arizona Mining Association and the Arizona Rock Products Association, Southern Arizona mining industry leaders reflected on the state’s rich history and how, with the right mix of raw resources, university innovation and industry support, they could be a part of the summit’s title: Securing Arizona’s Future as the Silicon Valley of Mining.

Mary Poulton, MGE professor emerita and co-director of the Lowell Institute, underscored the region's potential. “The vibrancy and the size of the mining community here is absolutely enormous,” she said.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here,” said Brad Ross, professor of practice and director of the Lowell Institute's Geotechnical Center of Excellence. “We believe the University of Arizona is in the right place. ... We have the right vision, and we have the right people -- not just at our university, but across our industry and in the government.”