2025 SME Academic Career Development Grant and Ph.D. Fellowship Recipients Announced

For a 10th year, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) will award grants and
fellowships to tenure-track professors and Ph.D. students seeking the financial support needed
to assist with securing tenure at their university or to earn their Ph.D. to begin a career in
academia.

This year’s recipients are Deniz Talan of West Virginia University and Chandima Subasinghe of
The Pennsylvania State University. These programs, funded through the SME Foundation, exist
to address the long-term challenges that threaten the sustainability of U.S. mining academic
degree granting programs, as well as the looming future labor deficiencies associated with
retirements over the next two decades.

2025 Freeport-McMoRan Academic Career Development Grant Recipient

This year’s 2025 Freeport-McMoRan Academic Career Development Grant recipient is Deniz Talan. Talan is an Assistant Professor of Mining Engineering at West Virginia University (WVU), specializing in the sustainable recovery of critical minerals from mine waste using environmentally responsible separation technologies. She earned her Ph.D. from WVU in 2021, and MS and BS degrees in Turkey in 2016 and 2013, respectively. She is establishing herself as an innovative scholar, dedicated educator, and active contributor to professional service and outreach. She is committed to strengthening the mineral and metallurgical processing community and supporting the next generation of engineers. Talan was the recipient of the 2021-2022 SME Rong Yu Wan Ph.D. Dissertation Award.

2025 SME Ph.D. Fellowship Recipient

This year’s 2025 SME Ph.D. Fellowship recipient is Chandima Subasinghe. Subasinghe is a dedicated mineral processing and metallurgical engineer with over five years of combined experience in industry and academia. His expertise spans mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, metallurgical chemistry, and project management, with a strong commitment to advancing the field through continuous learning and innovation. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Energy and Mineral Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), where his research focuses on the sustainable extraction of critical minerals from high-temperature geothermal brines—targeting efficient recovery of essential battery materials.

“Having funded 42 faculty and students with over $8 million to date, these programs continue to
be of paramount importance to mining’s bright future,” said Andy Cole, SME Foundation
President. “This year’s recipients are highly accomplished and well-equipped to mentor the next
wave of industry leaders.”

Since 2015, the Freeport-McMoRan Academic Career Development Grant Program and SME
Ph.D. Fellowship have awarded $8,100,000 to 42 individuals. Thirteen recipients of the
Academic Career Development Grant have achieved tenure at their university, 14 Ph.D.
Fellowship recipients have earned their Ph.D., and 10 grant/fellowship recipients are in progress
working towards their goals.

The program allocates to each recipient:

• Freeport-McMoRan Academic Career Development Grant – $100,000 per year for a
  maximum of three years. The grant provides assistant or associate professors financial
  support to fulfill requirements for achieving tenure and promotion.
• SME Ph.D. Fellowship – $60,000 per year for a maximum of four years. The fellowship
  provides financial support necessary to acquire a doctoral degree to students with
  industry experience and a desire to pursue an academic career.