Health & Safety Division Awards

Research and Educational Excellence Award to Cigdem Keles Cigdem Keles The Health & Safety Division Research and Educational Excellence Award is presented to Cigdem Keles “for her research to devise a new scanning electron microscopy (SEM) routine for characterizing dust particles in lung tissue samples obtained from underground coal miners to advance related surveillance efforts.” Keles earned her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mining engineering from Middle East Technical University, completing her Ph.D. in 2011. She began her career as a postdoctoral associate at Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research/Virginia Tech under Michael Karmis and Nino Ripepi. In 2015, she was promoted to research associate and joined Emily Sarver’s Dust Research Group. Her work involved developing analytical methods for respirable dust characterization, interpreting dust data and training graduate students on thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and polarized light microscopy. Additionally, she mentored graduate and undergraduate researchers. Keles joined Thiele Kaolin Co. as a research engineer in June 2023. Since then, she has been promoted to assistant core testing lab group leader and then to her current role of core testing lab manager. Operational Excellence Award to Cementation Americas The Health & Safety Division Operational Excellence Award is presented to Cementation Americas “for the creation and implementation of critical risk management control checklists for underground hoisting and underground high temperature water.” For more than 25 years, Cementation has generated value for clients worldwide through mine development and production services. Cementation’s experienced teams specialize in engineering, construction, material handling systems and operational services for underground and above-ground projects. As established performers in the mining and metals resources sector, Cementation’s companies have access to global best practices that empower the company to realize efficiencies and deliver innovative solutions to mine development challenges. “Cementation’s safety culture is at the foundation of everything we do, and we strive to evolve and transform our practices to minimize exposure to harm to our people. To this end, integrating our critical risk management controls has resulted in an annual 10 percent reduction in lost-time injury frequency for four consecutive years. Individual Excellence Award to Melissa Harmon Melissa Harmon The Health & Safety Division Individual Excellence Award is presented to Melissa Harmon with the citation: “for bringing focus and action to the issue of psychological safety on mine sites that benefit worker safety and workplace inclusion and diversity.” Harmon has worked at Newmont for 24 years in various technical and operational leadership roles at five different mine sites in Nevada, Colorado and Ghana and has also held both corporate and regional roles. She is currently the senior vice president, Technical Transformation. In addition, Harmon is a member of the board of directors for Lundin Gold. Harmon received her degree in mine engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She also holds an MBA from Auburn University, a P.E. license in Nevada and is a registered member of SME. She is proud to have received the Miner of the Year Award from SME in 2023 and to have been named Alumni of the Year in 2020 for the Mackay School at the UNR. Harmon currently serves as a trustee for the SME Foundation and the UNR Foundation.

Health & Safety Division Awards

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Caterpillar Announces Leadership Transition in Resource Industries

Copper squeeze breathes new life into old mines

Cartier-owner Richemont weighs joining De Beers acquisition race, source says

Caterpillar Announces Leadership Transition in Resource Industries

Copper squeeze breathes new life into old mines

Cartier-owner Richemont weighs joining De Beers acquisition race, source says

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

Environmental Division Stewardship Distinguished Service Award to Krishna Parameswaran

Industrial Minerals & Aggregates Division Awards

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