Director's Welcome August 2022

This edition of our e-newsletter really brings home to me how much SMI is about people – our research impacts are ultimately about people and the mining industry, our people are what makes this innovative research happen, and our people elevate these ideas for a more sustainable world.

The recent Institute Review by the UQ Academic Board was a unique opportunity for everyone in SMI to reflect on our collective efforts and achievements. I would like to heartily thank everyone who contributed to this work, and to the Review panel for their insightful recommendations. The process was an excellent chance to focus on clearly demonstrating how our work is impact-orientated and mission-focused. It also sets us up to better capture our research impacts (and associated funding opportunities) into the future.

Another team effort which has yielded excellent results is the new SMI Strategic Plan 2022–2025. People worked hard to bring together their vision for SMI’s next five years and UQ’s Strategic Plan. I am truly excited that now we can move forward with a common framework to drill down into each area’s plans.

We are privileged to welcome Professor Maureen Hassall and Professor Mohsen Yahyaei as Director of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) and Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) respectively. I look forward to our teams experiencing the drive and enthusiasm from these new, esteemed colleagues. We acknowledge the confident leadership of outgoing directors Brett Garland and Professor Rick Valenta.

We also welcome 18 new staff members who have joined us in July.

SMI has a reputation of bringing together an array of visionaries and leaders – those past are fondly remembered, and those current are recognised by some very special Memorial awards. I’m pleased to acknowledge Ziming Ye as the 2022 Dan Alexander Memorial Award winner which supports HDR students to seed-fund commercialisation of their research.

We also remember Dee Bradshaw’s passion for developing postgraduate students and the educational benefits of travel in the Dee Bradshaw Travel Scholarship, and Professor Bill Whiten’s long leadership and mentorship in the Bill Whiten Memorial Prize. I encourage you to apply, or to nominate admirable candidates.

I am also pleased to say that, with all appropriate care, we again are welcoming professionals and students for SMI’s in-person courses and masterclasses (plus online options). Our upcoming courses focus on G-MIRM G3 managers, Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management, Incident Investigation and Analysis Management, and Foundations of Modern Mining.

So, welcome to the August e-newsletter and don’t forget to connect with us online, on LinkedIn and on Twitter.