Mining for Knowledge

Butte, Montana was once one of the most prosperous cities in the world. It is estimated that Butte supplied close to one-third of the copper for the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, then seeing a large economic boom during World War I when copper was needed for bullets.

Times have changed, and, these days, it could be said that the source of Butte’s true wealth lies not beneath the ground, but in the bright minds of its researchers and engineers. Montana Tech, with its first-class faculty, is producing talented, well-educated undergraduates, many of whom go on to graduate school or high-level research careers. Supported in part by Montana NSF EPSCoR, the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) is a key factor in the success ratio at Montana Tech. URP provides the authors of approved proposals with $1,000 stipends and additional travel awards intended for presentation of these research projects at various conferences. Joseph F. Figueira, PhD, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research, Graduate Studies and International Affairs, expresses the value this program plays in a student’s education:

Montana Tech’s Undergraduate Research Program has served to introduce our undergraduate students to the world of research – one filled with both the excitement of the unknown and the frustrations of dealing with real life situations. The application process mimics the federal funding process and requires the students to go through the steps of proposal preparation, review, response to comments, and final approval. The research process quickly moves the student from the logical and predictable classroom environment to reality – equipment that doesn’t work, experimental methods that must be invented on the fly, calculations that yield strange results, but in the end provides them with the opportunity to work with dynamic and creative faculty and peers.

A recently adopted new tag line to emphasize a philosophy that has always been present at the institution, “Get Into It” represents the entire school’s desire to inspire educational enthusiasm in students and engagement in instruction for faculty. Montana Tech encourages active participation for its students through community involvement, undergraduate research, design teams, internships, student government, and clubs. This overall attitude towards education is a major contributing factor towards the successful influence the URP has on its undergraduate researchers. With a student to instructor ratio of 16:1 and ample lab space, the size of Montana Tech supports an ideal environment for collaborative and independent research where faculty mentors tend to establish strong scientific relationships working with students.

Tracking student participants after graduation can often prove difficult in this age of mobility and e-mail. These close relationships, formed early in the undergraduates’ education, tip the scales towards students staying in better contact over time. URP students tend to check in with their mentors, allowing the program to compile evidence that the difference the URP provides is paying off. Since the unfolding of this program in 1996, approximately 40% of the 300 former participants have gone on to earn a Master’s degree, with 5% earning a Ph.D. Thirty research projects have resulted in published manuscripts in scientific journals and two patents are pending. All participating science and engineering students are working in their elected fields – a very significant fact for Montana Tech and Montana NSF EPSCoR.

Some of the Gems...

One former URP participant who has kept in touch is Aaron Hieb. He has obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from University of Colorado-Boulder and moved to Heidelberg, Germany to pursue research at the German Cancer Research Institute. He now utilizes nanotechnology to help understand how biomolecules influence cancer and other diseases. He sent this endorsement of his undergraduate research experience:

Working on an undergraduate research project helped me tremendously in reaching my goals and directed me to where I am now. I began my undergraduate research with Doug Cameron during my junior year of college and up until then had no idea what I would do with my undergraduate chemistry degree….Besides teaching me how to independently research, I believe that having had undergraduate research experience helped me when applying to graduate schools. I found that most schools had a prerequisite of research experience before they would accept someone….I think undergraduates who have research experience before graduating have a great advantage over those who don’t. They know how to apply their knowledge, think for themselves, and have valuable experience with laboratory equipment and skills….I feel very fortunate for the opportunity I have had and have no idea where I would be now without it.

Cleat Zeiler reports from the University of Texas–El Paso, where he is pursuing a doctorate in seismology. At the time he began his first URP research project, he was working towards a bachelor’s degree (and, later, earned his M.S.) in Geophysical Engineering. Both research projects he and Scott Hess, a fellow student, worked on were mentored in part by Mike Stickney, Earthquake Studies Office Director and Senior Research Geologist at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. According to Cleat, the most important thing he learned from his two undergraduate research experiences was that he really wanted to become a research seismologist. Now, he is close to achieving that goal in part because he has been awarded a SMART scholarship (Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation) by the American Society for Engineering Education. This financial support will help him finish his doctorate. Once he earns his degree, he will begin repaying the award by working for the Air Force Research Labs where he is much needed to assist with research towards accurate identification and differentiation in seismic readings. Mining activity and nuclear explosions can be detected using seismic equipment and the government wishes for Cleat to help them learn how to distinguish each from earthquakes and natural seismic events.

Recently, three URP students in the Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Department at Montana Tech have been recognized internationally. Kelly Murphey received one of four $10,000 Copper Club Scholarships awarded in the U.S. each year. Nick Gow, a fifth-year Master’s candidate, received a $10,000 one-year scholarship from Lucille and Charles Wert Scholarship fund. Eric Streich, who is now a graduate student in the department, received a $10,000 grant from another international competition, the Henry De Witt Smith Trust Scholarship. Streich earned this recognition largely due to his graduate thesis work and the potential benefit it may have. He has been researching the possibility of using residue slags from past mining operations to clean the water in the Berkeley Pit, a large openpit mine in Butte, which is now a Superfund site. Due to its closure in 1982, contaminated groundwater has been filling the Pit since the pumps were turned off. Streich’s research could lead to a breakthrough with both environmental and economical benefits because mining waste piles could potentially be used to remediate the Berkeley Pit.

Contributing to the research of Montana Tech biochemistry professor Andrea Stierle, another recent URP research project focused on the waters of Berkeley Pit. Meredith LaFond and Michalee Moen researched microbes, code named BP 2-0-3C, that have adapted to the harsh environment. Besides their amazing ability to thrive in conditions that are toxic to most organisms, they have exhibited traits that might be useful in developing cancer drugs.

Meredith and Michalee applied for, and were awarded, a trip to the Sigma Xi Annual Meeting & Student Research Conference in Detroit, MI, November 2006, where they received a ribbon for quality research and poster presentation. When Meredith was asked how undergraduate research experience influenced her education, she responded, “It kept me in school!” She said that the opportunity to actually do the hands-on research opened her eyes to the possibilities of where a degree in biochemistry could take her. Having lived most of her life in Butte, she also said she takes great pride in telling people that she is attempting to find a cure for cancer in the polluted waters of the Berkeley Pit, therefore, making something positive from what everyone believes to be a very negative result of the mining there.

Another milestone for the Montana Tech URP is simply the record 65 students who are currently conducting research projects under 30 faculty mentors. Diversity among research topics is another achievement – they do not all involve beakers, microscopes, Petri dishes and high-tech equipment. In addition to laboratory or field research more typically associated with science or engineering disciplines, URP research may also include investigations of a cultural or historical question, documentary or production arts. Sally Carey and Sarah Thielen are currently studying, “The Effects of Yoga on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure”. Haley Doleshal is researching the efficacy of Montana Tech’s learning facilities in her project, “A Study to Determine the Effectiveness and Usefulness of the Montana Tech Learning Center”. Gregg Feddes may get rich with his “NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Predictor” (hopefully he and the world’s bookies will share some of the wealth with his mentor, mathematics professor and department head, Richard J. Rossi). All current URP participants will present their research at the Eleventh Annual Undergraduate Research Fair on Saturday, April 28, 2007. This fair is held at Montana Tech to recognize undergraduate research and provide an opportunity for students to share their studies with the community and their peers.

What else is on the horizon for URP? When asked about future plans, Courtney Young, Chair of the Montana Tech Undergraduate Research Program had this to say:

When URP began, the stipends offered were only $500 per year. We had 18 students the first year and 30 the following year. In the third year we were able to offer $1000 scholarships and the number of participants jumped to 50. We are now at a record 65 students and would like to see the program grow to 100 undergraduate researchers, which would be roughly 5% of the students enrolled at our campus. An increased level of funding would not only help us accomplish this goal, but also help us to improve upon our outstanding faculty involvement through better compensation for mentors and their efforts. Employers love hiring Montana Tech graduates because of their extra hands-on experience and work ethic. I would seek to maintain that reputation for our students and ensure that the URP is available to enhance the quality education they are getting.