In the home stretch
We’re less than two years away from a major Mines’ milestone—our 150th anniversary in 2024. Here in Mines Magazine, I’ve shared our MINES@150 plan and progress toward our goals. I’ve also discussed these with you at events and alumni gatherings, and many of you have jumped in to help us move toward becoming that unique top-of-mind and first-choice university we aspire to be.
Now, in the home stretch, we’re starting to see the impact of our hard work. That’s evident in our incoming classes of students, our new faculty and staff, the companies recruiting our graduates, the engagement of alumni, the investments from our donors, and the growing sense of pride in what’s being accomplished.
For example, we’re:
- Expanding professional development opportunities for students to prepare them for successful careers and life beyond Mines.
- Creating an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem for our students, faculty and alumni to create new products, processes and companies.
- Offering new undergraduate degree programs in today’s top engineering and business fields.
- Giving students opportunities to enter into honors and scholars programs focused on leadership development.
- Increasing accessibility to a Mines education
with 20+ new online programs. - Connecting students and alumni through special interest groups and mentoring programs.
- Building the Labriola Innovation Complex and Beck Venture Center (expected to open in Summer 2023).
- Developing our early childhood education center (groundbreaking anticipated in late 2022).
- Planning a second classroom building/parking garage combo (construction start anticipated in
early 2023). - Building the Minerals and Energy Research Facility, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (construction start expected in mid-2023).
- Expanding student housing for years two to four and graduate students (planning underway).
This is just a small snapshot, but there’s a lot going on at Mines as we head towards our sesquicentennial. It’s been exciting to see alumni involvement grow, too, and there’s still time and opportunities for you, no matter where you are in the world.
Volunteer to mentor students; share your professional experience and expertise as an in-person or virtual guest speaker in a class or one of our professional development workshops; join one of the alumni interest groups; and more.
Open doors for internships/jobs for students, faculty collaborations and research projects and new Mines-industry partnerships.
Invest in students, academic program excellence and our MINES@150 initiatives.
I’m looking forward to the celebration we’ll have in 2024. Thank you for all you do to support and share your pride in Mines.
Go Orediggers!
Paul C. Johnson
President and Professor
Follow our progress at mines.edu/mines-at-150.
