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Reunion 2007
Bakersfield BBQ
Fresh Faces
Alumni Association Awards
Career Column

Reunion 2007 (Click Here for All Reunion Class Photos)

Reunion 2007 was held May 10-12. The first major event was the 50th Class Reunion Breakfast in the Ben H. Parker Student Center of the many changes the world has seen in the preceeding half century, Presidnet Scoggins expressed appreciation for the group's many accomplishments.

The Graduation and Alumni Banquet, a new event taking the place of the All-Alumni Banquet and the pre-commencement dinner at Green Gables, was very popular, with 550 people in attendance. Read more about this festive occasion in the feature article on Commencement 2007. Alumni Association Awards were presented at this event. (Details of the recipient can be found here.) In addition to this dinner, returning alumni had a variety of activities to choose from throughout the three days. Tours were offered of the new Geology Museum; Arthur Lakes Library; the National Earthquake Information Center; the departmens of Mining Engineering, Petroleum Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering; and the new Student Recreation Center. Students offered guided tours of campus, and the ever-popular Geology Trail walk was led by Professor Emeritus Bob Weimer. Other events included a lecture by Mahdi Obeidi '67, who headed up Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program durin its most active years; two faculty symposia; several departmental receptions; a barbeque on Kafadar Commons; and live comedy on Saturday evening.

Class dinners took place on Friday evening at locations around Golden. For the first time the Mines Alumni Association invited "neighboring classes" to attend Reunion 2007, which gave alumni on either side of the "anchor class" an opportunity to reunite with contemporaries they hadn't seen in a while. Neighboring classes are again invited to Reunion 2008. Make your plans now - Reunion 2008 will be help May 8-10.

Bakersfield BBQ

In May, a group of Bakersfield alumni organized a barbeque for Mines students, potential students and other alumni. For information about section events coming up in your area, email Serena Aernie (serena.aernie@is.mines.edu).

Fresh Faces

In early August, sendoff parties for incoming freshmen were hosted in several locations around the country. In Los Angeles, Randy Ollmann '98 hosted a party for seven students and their families. In Glenwood Springs, Glenn Vawter '60 helped gather 10 frosh, giving them a few pointers on what to expect when they arrive in Golden. If you would be willing to host a sendoff party in August 2008, please contact Serena Aernie (serena.aernie@is.mines.edu).

Alumni Association Awards 2007

Presented annually, CSMAA Awards recognize individuals who have made substantial contributions to the success of the Alumni Association and the School. We are proud to present the 2007 recipients, who received their awards at the Graduation and Alumni Banquet held the evening before spring Commencement.

Alumni Teaching Award: Professor Mark Lusk
Since joining Mines in 1994, Mark has demonstrated a profound commmitment to student learning. He has taught every course within the undergraduate mechanics of materials curriculum at least once, fundamentally overhauling many of them. His use of technology to enrich learning is well known, as are his exacting standards. One student noted in a nomination letter that "Dr. Lusk is one of the hardest professors I've ever had, and one of the best."

Melville F. Coolbaugh Award: Professor Tom Davis
Tom Davis PhD '74, professor of geophysics and leader of the Reservoir Characterization Project, was selected for this year's Coolbaugh Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to enhancing the School's reputation and competitive profile. During the last 20 years, Tom has held three key offices within the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and he has been recognized nationally and internationally for his innovativew contributions to seismology. His work for SEG has included organizing technical conferences, workshops and continuing education programs.

Coolbaugh Senior Awards: Brian Crawford, Derek Nash, Kelli Huls and Bryan Romero
By rewarding academic success with need-based financial support for rising seniors, the Coolbaugh Senior Award aims to reinforce academic excellence at Mines.

• Kelli Huls plays the flute for the CSM Marching and Concert Band and is an officer for the Society for Women Engineers. Professionally she is exploring the field of biomechanics and is drawn to technology related to children's rehabilitation.
• Bryan Crawford was elected to the National Honor Society while playing varsity basketball at his high school. He once won a bridge-building competition with a structure weighing 70 grams that supported 87.5 kilograms. Since his freshman year at Mines, Bryan has maintained an impeccable academic record while remaining active in intramural sports, the Society of Mining Engineers and his own livestock business.
• Derek Nash serves as joint session chair for the campus chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He is a member of the American Association of Drilling Engineers and the honor society Pi Epsilon Tau. He is also ana ctive member of the Colorado Aquarium Society.
• Bryan Romero has maintained an excellent academic record while at Mines. He works as a teaching assistant for Physics II and as a tutor for Academic Services. While in high school, he was inducted into the National Honor Society, despite needing to hold two jobs. During the summer he participated in a highly selective computer science project in Hong Kong led by head of the Mathematical and Computer Science Department, Graeme Fairweather.

• A former Mines football player, a World War II Navy pilot and a retired metallurgical engineer, Tony Corbetta is noe of the Orediggers' most faithful fans and has been a fixture in the special "President's Box" at Brooks Field for many decades. When he is not involved in Mines affairs, he enjoys playing golf, reading and listening to classical music and opera.
• Eldon Jay Mayhew has also been a familiar face on campus for several decades. During his career in mining, he helped start five companies, two of which are still operating. He discovered the potash of the Paradox Basin, a number of uranium deposits and several deposits of rare clays in Nevada.
• Stephen Bechtel Jr. is a chairman emeritus and board member of the Bechtel Group. A civil engineer and the leader of one of the nation's foremost engineering and construction firms, Bechtel was awarded an honorary degree at Commencement 2007. A transcript of his Graduation and Alumni Banquet speech may be read here.

The Career Column

Three Questions Every Job Seeker Should Answer BEFORE Beginning a Job Search

If you're looking for a job, resist the urge to shine up your resumé and race off to the internet. Answer the following three questions first, and you'll save yourself time and you could increase your earnings by thousands: "What do you have to offer?" "What is it worth?" and "Who would you pay for it?" Most job seekers never stop to consider these three questions, yet doing so can give them a distinct advantage. To answer these questions for yourself, consider the following seven "clarity questions." Think of a job you've had in the past and answer each question within the context of that job.

1. What industry did you work in?
2. What was the name of the company you worked for?
3. What department or division did you work in?
4. What problem did you solve for that company? (Here's a quick hint. Problems only come in three flavors, regardless of industry, company or functional role. They are making money, saving money or increasing efficiency. It doesn't matter if you're a geologist or a petroleum engineer, the problem you solved for the company was how to make them money. And you did so by applying your skill set.)
5. What was the business impact of solving that problem? (i.e. How much money did you make or save the company?)
6. Who was the highest ranking person in that company who cared about solving that problem?
7. Who are five of that company's competitors?