“When AKJ Industries entered into this fellowship with the UK Department of Mining Engineering, we wanted to provide an opportunity for talented young people to enter an aging industry with a focus on meaningful research that can positively impact the mining industry,” said Jack Cranfill, vice president of special projects at AKJ Industries and 1971 UK alumnus. “The results have exceeded our expectations.”

Cranfill cited several projects that have originated from the partnership, such as a “dust chamber” for evaluating underground dust control, a wind tunnel for testing rail car dust control technology and a device that can cause spontaneous combustion for research to keep it from happening.

“These projects have resulted in significant improvements to existing technology currently used in the mining industry,” explained Cranfill. “The students involved in the program have learned a great deal from the process, and just as importantly, AKJ Industries’ personnel have learned from both the students and mining engineering faculty.”

Rick Honaker, chair of the Department of Mining Engineering, agreed that the past three years have been successful.

“Our partnership with AKJ Industries has demonstrated what is possible when a forward-thinking company engages with UK’s cutting-edge researchers and top students. I commend AKJ Industries’ desire to improve critical mining processes and am grateful that our work with them will continue.”

The partnership, which funds one graduate fellowship as well as research expenses, will continue through 2018. 

MFBoardNovember12PresVersion [Compatibility Mode]

The growth and transformation of the Department of Mining Engineering has coincided with Dr. Unrug’s tenure. “Since I came here, mining has come to exist as its own department when it was once just a section of civil engineering. We only had three professors and zero resources,” he says. “With commitment and time, we built slowly and now are one of the primary mining engineering programs in the country. That would not have happened without the commitment of people in the industry and the creation of the Mining Engineer Foundation. Both had a monumental impact because they allowed us to have a material base for our work.”

For Dr. Unrug, retirement hardly means inactivity. As an Emeritus professor, he plans to continue working on research projects with Dr. Kyle Perry, who will take over as Director of the Rock Mechanics Laboratory, and enjoy time off for scuba diving, golf, sailing and skiing. “My principle is to play hard or work hard,” he smiles. “Don’t do anything in between!”

More than likely, Dr. Unrug will also take time to reflect on his career as a professor and the many mining engineering students on whom he had an opportunity to put his stamp of influence over the past three decades. “The best reward of teaching is when you see the students you’ve taught doing well in life,” he summarizes. “That’s better than any of the other metrics we use.”

View Full Article