Project Info


IMURF – Sustainable Development and the Extractive Industries

Nicole Smith | nmsmith@mines.edu
Sebnem Duzgun | duzgun@mines.edu

We aim to identify and analyze the indicators mining and oil and gas companies use to assess their contributions to sustainable development. Furthermore, we propose to develop a platform that companies and organizations can use to better assess their contributions to sustainable development across space and time.

The project is directed by two faculty members in Mining Engineering. However, the faculty members’ expertise is in different disciplines. Dr. Smith is a cultural anthropologist and Dr. Duzgun is a mining engineer. The project incorporates theory and methodologies from both the social sciences and engineering to understand the ways in which extractive industries quantify, report on, and assess their contributions to sustainable development.

The team has weekly meetings with the two faculty members and a graduate student in the Earth Resources Development Engineering (ERDE) graduate program in Mining Engineering. The graduate student’s background is in environmental engineering. During these weekly meetings we discuss project directions, results, and we consider the ways in which engineering and social sciences inform our approach.

For more information:
https://resourcesandcommunities.mines.edu/research-interests/

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Student Preparation


Qualifications

The student should have an interest in the extractive industries and sustainable development. The student should be able to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team with graduate students and faculty.

Time Commitment

4-5 hours/week

Skills/Techniques Gained

The student will gain skills in data analysis, the ability to assess sustainable development contributions and outcomes, and techniques for working in an interdisciplinary group of scholars.

Mentoring Plan

Students will be mentored through weekly group meetings with faculty and graduate students. Students will contribute to a larger project, but identify their own independent research project within the project. Students will be given readings and engage in discussions to inform his/her work.