Teresa Meek

Shifting to solar steam: The Belridge Solar project leads the way to eco-friendly oil production

It’s not often that you’d mention “solar energy” and “oil field” in the same breath. But 45 miles northwest of Bakersfield in California’s San Joaquin Valley, construction will soon begin on a unique thermal solar energy and photovoltaic system that will help power the Belridge oil field. It will be the first project in the world to use both solar steam and solar electricity for oil extraction, and when it’s complete, it will deliver the largest peak energy output of any solar plant in California. Two Mines graduates have played important roles in launching and running the Belridge Solar...

STEAM powered

Posted by Teresa Meek

The arts have long been an important part of campus life and curriculum at Mines, but alumni recruiting students often find that they’re unaware of all the school has to offer. “Their second most frequent question after asking about engineering degrees is, “What can I do here besides pure academic stuff? Do you have a band, a music program, a way for me to do art?’” said Alumni Association Board Vice President Ray Priestley ’79, who has worked closely with Admissions for many years. To connect students with the school’s many talented alumni and encourage the dimension of creative...

Mindful Engineering

Posted by Teresa Meek

Like many engineers in the oil and gas industry, Ray Priestley ’79, was trained to focus on specific tasks—design this pump, drill this well. Dealing with community concerns about a project wasn’t part of his training and was usually handled by advocacy groups that didn’t always communicate with engineers. As a result, objections often surfaced after plans were underway, causing delays and cost overruns. “Often there’s a disconnect,” said Priestley, Mines Alumni Association Board president. “Most engineers are not trained in community relations, and people in community relations are not trained in engineering. So sometimes projects don’t get explained...

Launching into the Future of Space: The new Aerospace alumni interest group works to expand Mines’ reputation in space resources

Posted by Teresa Meek

When the Aerospace alumni interest group held its first networking event in September 2017, called Trajectories, organizers hoped to attract 40 or 50 people. Instead, more than 150 signed up. “We had to cut off registration and quit advertising the week before. The fire marshal wouldn’t allow any more people,” said Paul Anderson ’85, a Lockheed Martin engineer who helped start the interest group last year at the request of Mines President Paul C. Johnson. There seems to be a magnetic force drawing people to space science, at Mines and beyond, and the interest group is tapping into it....

Shaping Ideas into Business Ventures: A look at the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alumni Interest Group

Posted by Teresa Meek

Mines has always had a strong culture of innovation, but turning great ideas into successful businesses hasn’t always been a well-known focus of the university. Today, however—thanks to a revamped entrepreneurial and innovation emphasis on campus and a new alumni interest group—that’s starting to change. Earlier this year, Mines created a new Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to better define and prioritize an inventive and enterprising environment on campus while providing better business connections for students and alumni. But Mines President Paul C. Johnson recognized there was additional alumni potential, with a readily available group who wanted to contribute...

Author: Teresa Meek

Shifting to solar steam: The Belridge Solar project leads the way to eco-friendly oil production

STEAM powered

Mindful Engineering

Launching into the Future of Space: The new Aerospace alumni interest group works to expand Mines’ reputation in space resources

Shaping Ideas into Business Ventures: A look at the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alumni Interest Group

Current Issue: Fall 2018

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