Ben Teschner

PhD Candidate in Mining Engineering
Ben TeschnerDissertation title

Predicting and Valuing A Mining Property’s Likelihood of Social Conflict (funded by the Gates Foundation and Resource Capital Funds)

K-12 outreach topics

Earth sciences, mining processes, mining and society, integrating social sciences and STEM

I hold a B.S. in Geological Engineering, a Masters of International Political Economy of Resources, and I am currently a PhD Candidate in Mining Engineering. My research focuses on the interaction between local communities and society-at-large affect the development of mining projects. My work includes a qualitative assessment of the Donlin Gold project in Western Alaska, and a quantitative analysis of the risk and costs associated with mining company-community conflict. I have worked at mine sites around the world, where my efforts have addressed mining’s interactions with society. I spent over two years in Mali and Ghana (West Africa) with Gold Fields, Ltd where I helped the company manage their relationships with local stakeholders. I worked in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where I audited mine sites for compliance with anti-conflict mining standards. I have also conducted numerous studies on small-scale mining in Africa and South America. I also have taught Engineering Design courses at Colorado School of Mines including Senior Design, Freshman Design (EPICS), and Human Centered Design methods.