Mary M. Poulton
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Professor Emerita of Mining and Geological Engineering
Dr. Mary Poulton is a University Distinguished Professor with appointments in Geosciences, Mining and Geological Engineering, Law and Public Health. She was the first woman to lead an engineering department in the history of the University of Arizona, serving from July 1, 2000 to January 1, 2015. She founded and directs the interdisciplinary Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources (IMR), the largest minerals research and education center in the US. Dr. Poulton directs the Western Mine Safety and Health Training Resource Center. She created the Latin American Natural Resources Academy with US State Department support to promote student exchange in mineral resources. She is also a founding member of the Pan American Hub for Compatible Mining.
Dr. Poulton is co-founder and vice-president of NOAH, LLC, a water and energy management technology company and co-founder and principal of Custos Fratris L3C, a safety training company.
Dr. Poulton has more than 90 publications on the application of computational neural networks to pattern recognition problems in the earth sciences, including geophysics, mining, mineral and petroleum exploration, hydrology, and atmospheric science. She is the author of a book on the use of neural networks for geophysical data analysis. She has led or participated in nearly $29 million in research funding.
She has chaired the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee for NIOSH and the Board on Natural Resources for NASULGC (now APLU). Dr. Poulton was appointed to serve on three National Research Council Committees including co-authoring the 2007 report on critical minerals. She currently chairs the NRC Committee on Earth Resources and also serves on the Board on Earth Science and Resources. Dr. Poulton has given testimony before Congress on workforce issues in the mining industry and helped draft the Energy and Mineral Schools Re-Investment Act which passed the US House of Representatives in 2006.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Geological Engineering
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Work Experience
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2010 - Ongoing)
- Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources (2009 - Ongoing)
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2003 - 2010)
- Mining and Geological Engineering (2000 - 2014)
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1996 - 2003)
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1990 - 1996)
- Pittsburgh and Midway Coal (1984 - 1984)
- UA Army Corps of Engineers (1982 - 1983)
- US Army Corps of Engineers (1980 - 1981)
Interests
Research
Sustainable Resource Development, Mining Health and Safety, Environmental issues in mining
Courses
Int'l Mining Health Law
LAW 640E (Spring 2018)
Intro to International Mining
LAW 640G (Fall 2020)
LAW 640G (Fall 2019)
LAW 640G (Fall 2018)
LAW 640G (Fall 2017)
LAW 640G (Spring 2017)
LAW 640G (Fall 2016)
Independent Study
MNE 699 (Spring 2017)
Research
MNE 900 (Fall 2016)
Thesis
MNE 910 (Fall 2016)
Dissertation
MNE 920 (Spring 2018)
MNE 920 (Spring 2017)
MNE 920 (Fall 2016)
MNE 920 (Spring 2016)
Licensure & Certification
- EIT, (1987)
Selected Publications
Journals/Publications
- Botin, J., Gatica, C., Poulton, M. M., & Tenorio Gutierrez, V. O. (2016). Profesionales Femeninas en la Minera Chilena - Female Professionals in Chilean Mining. TECNOLOGIA MINERA, 10(62), 76-80.
- Maier, R. M., Diaz-Barriga, F., Field, J. A., Hopkins, J. C., Klein, B., & Poulton, M. M. (2014). Socially responsible mining: the relationship between mining and poverty, human health and the environment. Reviews on Environmental Health, 29, 83-89.
- King, A., Poate, J., Poulton, M. M., Duclos, S., Espinal, L., Traversa, E., Mao, S. S., & Baraton, M. (2013). Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings: Preface. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 1492, ix.
- Poulton, M. M., & Tenorio Gutierrez, V. O. (2013). De Nanoescala a Terabytes (parte 2) - From Nanoscale to Terabytes (part 2). TECNOLOGIA MINERA, 7(42), 62-64.
- Poulton, M. M., Jagers, S. C., Linde, S., Zyl, D. V., Danielson, L. J., & Matti, S. (2013). State of the world's nonfuel mineral resources: Supply, demand, and socio-institutional fundamentals. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 38, 345-371.
- Poulton, M. M., Poulton, M. M., Tenorio Gutierrez, V. O., Tenorio Gutierrez, V. O., Poulton, M. M., & Tenorio Gutierrez, V. O. (2013). De Nanoescala a Terabytes (parte 1) - From Nanoscale to Terabytes (part 1). TECNOLOGIA MINERA, 7(41), 134-136.
- Poulton, M., Szidarovszky, F., Coppola, E. A., Long, J., Hall, A. D., & Poulton, M. M. (0). A hybrid artificial neural network-numerical model for ground water problems. Ground water, 45(5).
- Poulton, M. M. (2012). Analysis of the mining engineering faculty pipeline. 2012 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit 2012, SME 2012, Meeting Preprints, 427-432.
- Hinnell, A. C., Lazarovitch, N., Furman, A., Poulton, M., & Warrick, A. W. (2010). Neuro-Drip: Estimation of subsurface wetting patterns for drip irrigation using neural networks. Irrigation Science, 28(6), 535-544.
- Snyder, D. D., Prouty, M., George, D. C., King, T., Poulton, M., & Szidarovszky, A. (2010). Uxo discrimination at camp san luis obispo with the metalmapper. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Application of Geophyics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, SAGEEP, 2, 1054-1064.
- Lazarovitch, N., Poulton, M., Furman, A., & Warrick, A. W. (2009). Water distribution under trickle irrigation predicted using artificial neural networks. Journal of Engineering Mathematics, 64(2), 207-218.
- Szidarovszky, A., Poulton, M., & MacInnes, S. (2008). Identification of unexploded ordnance from clutter using neural networks. SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 27(1), 2912-2916.
- Szidarovszky, A., Poulton, M., & Macinnes, S. C. (2008). Identification of unexploded ordnance from clutter using neural neworks. Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society - 21st Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2008, 1, 525-535.
- Coppola Jr., E. A., Szidarovszky, F., Davis, D., Spayd, S., Poulton, M. M., & Roman, E. (2007). Multiobjective analysis of a public wellfield using artificial neural networks. Ground Water, 45(1), 53-61.
- Szidarovszky, F., Coppola Jr., E. A., Long, J., Hall, A. D., & Poulton, M. M. (2007). A hybrid artificial neural network-numerical model for ground water problems. Ground Water, 45(5), 590-600.
Presentations
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, December). Successful Change Management for University Mineral Resources Programs. Business Process Improvement in Mining Conference. Tucson, AZ: BPI-Mining and SME.
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, December). The New Face of Mining: The Culture Change for Compatible Mining. Arizona Conference of SME. Tucson, AZ: SME.
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, February). How many anthropologists does it take to build a mine?. SME Annual Meeting. Denver: SME.
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, February). The New Face of Mining – Industry-University Research Partnerships. SME Annual meeting. Denver: SME.
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, July). Satisfying the Material World: The Challenges of the 21st Century. ASU Singulair Project. Phoenix, AZ: ASU.
- Poulton, M. M. (2015, October). Resourcing the Material World: Balancing Material and Soceital Demands. International Society of Exposure Science. Las Vegas: ISES.
- Poulton, M. M., & Barton, M. D. (2015, november). AZ 101: Mineral Resources. tutorial on mining for staffs of city, county and mayoral officials. Tucson, AZ: UA State Relations.
Awards
- Carnegie Professor of Year
- Carnegie Foundation, Summer I 1999
- Wakonse Fellow
- UA, Spring 1999
- Excellence at the Student Interface
- MGE Department, Spring 1998
- MGE Department, Spring 2011
- Who's Who
- Strathmore, Fall 1997
- Marquis, Fall 1997
- Outstanding Advisor
- Center for Off Campus Students, Spring 1994
- Ivan B. Rahn Award
- SME, Spring 2015
- Eugene Sander Faculty Fundraising Award
- UA Foundation, Fall 2012
- SME Distinguished Member
- SME, Spring 2012
- University Research Innovation Award
- University of Arizona, Spring 2011
- University Distinguished Professor
- University of Arizona, Fall 2010
- American Hall of Fame Medal of Merit
- Mining Foundation of the Southwest, Fall 2010
- Stephen McCann Award for Excellence in Education
- Pittsburgh Coal Mining Assocation, Fall 2010
- AIME Industry Educator Award
- AIME, Spring 2010
- Udall Center For Public Policy Fellow
- Udall Center for Public Policy Studies, Spring 2008
- Distinguished Lecturer
- Arizona Conference of SME, Fall 2006
- Woman of Distinction Award
- Business and Professional Women, Spring 2006