Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division

As a member of the Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division of SME, you have access to professional networking and leadership opportunities with peers who share your career objectives.

The objectives of the Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division are to:

  • Provide a means for cooperation and communication among industry professionals interested in the unit processes and operations of mineral and metallurgical processing;

  • Promote the advancement of mineral and metallurgical technology through related meetings and professional discourse;

  • Stimulate the preparation, reading, discussion and circulation of technical papers on mineral and metallurgical processing;

  • Provide scholarships and awards for students to further the recruitment of new members to the industry.

Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division Annual Lunch

This event is a fantastic opportunity for division members to network while supporting the Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division scholarships.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors!

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Click here to view the photos on SME's Flickr page

Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division Committees

The Committee shall review the nominations for the Gaudin Award and select the recipient. The Gaudin Award is given for scientific or engineering contributions that further the understanding of the technology of mineral processing. Eligible areas for contributions are agglomeration, classification, comminution, electrical and magnetic separation, flocculation and sedimentation, froth flotation, hydrometallurgy, particulate behavior, and other related mineral processing operations.

Name Position Start End
James E. Gebhardt, PE, PHD Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Clifton A Boylston Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Leonard N. Hill Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Dr York Smith, PHD Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Dr Mohammad Rezaee Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Michael Blois Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027
Dr. Barbara J. Arnold Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027

The Taggart Award is made for the paper or series of closely related papers with at least one common author, which, in the opinion of the Committee, represents a notable contribution to the science of mineral processing. The Committee shall review the eligible papers and select the recipient.

Name Position Start End
Dr. Barbara J. Arnold Chair 05/02/2024 02/28/2025
D. R. Nagaraj, PHD Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Dr York Smith, PHD Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Fangyu Liu Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027
Jiaqi Jin Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2026
Pengbo Chu Member 05/02/2024 02/28/2025
Seyed Hassan Amini, PHD Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027

Responsible for organizing programming related to hydrometallurgical processing (including leaching, precipitation, ion-exchange, solvent extraction, electrowinning, electrorefining, crystallization) and pyrometallurgical processing (including pyrolysis, roasting calcinations, reduction, smelting and fire refining) and metallurgical-processing fundamentals and principles.

Name Position Start End
Jiajia Wu Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Xinbo Yang Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

Responsible for organizing programming related to crushing, grinding, size classification, microwave fracturing, blast fragmentation, instrumentation and process control, particle-size measurement and materials handling in comminution.

Name Position Start End
Clifton A Boylston Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

The Committee shall have oversight of all activities within the Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division.

Name Position Start End
Dr. Jaeheon Lee Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Christopher A. Noble, PE, PHD Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Kimberly D. Mills, PHD Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
David G. Meadows Past Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Robert Nick Gow Secretary-Treasurer 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Dr Tarun Bhambhani Associate Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Adam R. House, QP Membership Associate 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Mr James R. Wickens Technical Program Associate 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Thomas C. Rauch Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
D. R. Nagaraj, PHD Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Wencai Zhang Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2026
Jordan Gillis Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

Responsible for organizing programming related to flotation fundamentals and principles, machine design and hydrodynamics, innovative separation schemes, reagent and flotation chemistry, scale up, bubble-particle interactions and froths, water chemistry and efficiency, gangue and penalty element control, coarse and fine particle recovery.

Name Position Start End
Mr. Raghav M. Dube Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

The MPD Membership Committee encourages interest and membership in MPD.

Name Position Start End
Kimberly D. Mills, PHD Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Adam R. House, QP Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

The Committee shall review the nominations for the Milton E. Wadsworth Award and select the recipient. The Committee is also responsible for soliciting and/or submitting nominations as appropriate/necessary. The Wadsworth Award recognizes distinguished contributions that advance our understanding of the science and technology of nonferrous chemical metallurgy.

Name Position Start End
Dr. Janet Baron Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Tim G. Robinson Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Christine R. Green Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Scott A. Shuey, PHD, QP Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Robert Nick Gow Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Dr. Sevket Acar Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027
Rudi D. Frischmuth Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027

The MPD Nominating Committee shall recommend to the MPD Executive Committee Chair the members of MPD who will fill the different positions in the MPD committees and as MPD representatives. The Nominating Committee shall obtain acceptance from each nominee and give SME staff the proper name, title and contact information, including email address, for each appointee. The MPD Nominating Committee will contact each individual and confirm his/her willingness to serve.

Name Position Start End
Dr. Ronel Kappes Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Kimberly D. Mills, PHD Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2029
Christopher A. Noble, PE, PHD Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2028
David G. Meadows Member 03/01/2020 02/28/2025
Dr. Jaeheon Lee Member 03/01/2021 02/28/2026
Dr Tarun Bhambhani Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2027
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

Responsible for organizing programming related to gravity concentration, electrical and magnetic separation, ore sorting, solid-liquid separation and other selective physical separations, and materials handling in separation processes.

Name Position Start End
Joelson Alves Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Mr Benjamin W Stevens Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

Responsible for organizing programming related to process-plant operations descriptions and practices, maintenance practices, process improvement and optimization, process instrumentation and control, plant-engineering design, plant construction, process-selection and flow-sheet design, and process economics.

Name Position Start End
Thomas Boundy Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Corey Foxworth Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025
Name Position Start End
Dr Tarun Bhambhani Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Christopher A. Noble, PE, PHD Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Mr James R. Wickens Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
D. R. Nagaraj, PHD Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Jiajia Wu Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Clifton A Boylston Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Mr. Raghav M. Dube Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Joelson Alves Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Thomas Boundy Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

The Robert H. Richards Award Committee is responsible for reviewing the nominations for the Robert H. Richards Award and selecting the recipient. The Richards Award recognizes achievement in any form which unmistakably furthers the art of mineral beneficiation in any of its branches.

Name Position Start End
Tim G. Robinson Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Sumedh Gostu Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2028
Dr. Janet Baron Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2028
Fangyu Liu Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2027
Dr. Hamid Akbari Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2027
Dr. Daniel R. Palo Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2026
Adam R. House, QP Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2026

The Committee shall review all applications for the Klimpel and MPD Scholarships and Rong Yu Wan Ph.D. Dissertation Award and select the recipient(s).

Name Position Start End
Amy E. Jacobsen Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Dr Mohammad Rezaee Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Zachery A. Zanetell Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Jordan M. Rutledge Member 03/01/2022 02/28/2025
Sumedh Gostu Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Deniz Talan Member 03/01/2023 02/28/2026
Kristine R. Murphy Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027
Joseph Trouba Member 03/01/2024 02/28/2027

The MPD Student Poster Contest Committee organizes and encourages student participation in the annual MPD Student Poster Contest. Prizes at the undergraduate level and graduate level are awarded.

Name Position Start End
Michael Spicher Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Wencai Zhang Vice Chair 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Adam R. House, QP Judge 03/01/2024 02/28/2025
Chee Theng SME Staff 03/01/2015 02/28/2025

Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division Awards

Click the button below to view your Division Award.
Click Here

Mineral & Metallurgical Processing Division Scholarships

Click the button below to view your Division Scholarships.
Click Here