MGE Students Form Women in Mining Chapter

When Greatness Ojum was in her first year of mining engineering studies, she met Julia Potter, co-director of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence and vice president of Women in Mining USA. Potter told her about an opportunity to launch a University of Arizona student chapter of the organization, which has supported an equitable and sustainable mining industry since 1972.

“As a freshman, that was very overwhelming for me. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh –  it's a lot of work,’” said Ojum, now a sophomore and president of the UA WIM student chapter, as well as its founder. “But it was something that I wanted to get involved in … so I took the initiative and got some students together.”

The seven-month-old WIM student chapter has attracted 17 members so far, and Ojum and Anani see growth as one of their biggest focus areas. They want to spread the word and attract more membership from males and students outside MGE and the university’s School of Mining and Mineral Resources.

Welcoming these populations is a foundational goal for WIM chapters at every level and benefits all participants, said Anani.

“We’re talking about surveyors, people in human resources, it’s very broad. We want people to understand that regardless of your background, you can go into mining. We also want you to be included in overcoming some of the challenges and enjoying some of the benefits that we have in mining,” she said.

This interaction is also valuable for those who plan to become mining engineers. WIM member Nilufer Akbulut, a graduate student in mining, geological and geophysical engineering, has enjoyed attending meetings where engineering students from other majors contributed to the discussion. She likes WIM because it’s inclusive of academic disciplines and genders.

“It actually feels like an equal space,” Akbulut said.