The SME Board of Directors Internship Program is a new initiative for members age 40 and under who have demonstrated leadership skills through SME and would like to pursue involvement at the highest level. The purpose of this program is to offer an internship opportunity for members currently involved in SME who show interest in becoming SME leaders. Interns will serve a two-year term, gain experience and an understanding of the organization and bring new perspectives to current issues.

SME has chosen Heather Lammers as the first intern to receive the opportunity to gain insight into the higher levels of SME leadership.

Lammers is a geological and mining engineer with more than 12 years of consulting experience in the mining industry, specializing in multi-disciplinary analyses and design of mine waste facilities. Her international project experience includes mine closure and reclamation design, and heap-leach, tailing-storage and waste-rock facility design. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in the Mining Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), researching tailings dewatering methods. She plans to pursue a dual career in academia upon completion of her degree and hopes to use her knowledge of multidisciplinary mining practices and applied work experience to teach students and continue research in the field of mine-waste and water management. To that end, she has maintained employment as a consultant throughout her academic pursuits, working as a senior project engineer for Golder Associates in Denver, CO, gaining additional experience and ensuring that her research remains relevant to industry.

Lammers has been an active member of SME at both the local and national levels. She has been a member of the Colorado Section’s board of directors since 2015 and currently serves as the Section chair. She was a member of the Young Leaders Committee from 2014-2018, serving as co-chair of the Professional Development Subcommittee and executive secretary. At the national level, she is a member of the Environmental Division and the Tailings Committee, and representative-elect to the SME Research Subcommittee.

Lammers commented on her future in the society, “Returning value to our membership is a relevant issue that SME faces at both local and national levels. My goals within SME continue to be to promote professional development, networking and knowledge-share opportunities for students, young professionals and mining industry experts.”

Lammers is also a member of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America and currently serves on its Quality Membership Committee. And she serves as a midcareer mentor for several engineers and scientists.

The program is open to SME members who have completed a bachelor’s degree and are age 40 or under by the application deadline. Applicants will have to give examples of SME involvement and overall leadership experiences. Applications are submitted to SME through an electronic submission process that opens April 1 and closes June 1. Visit www.smenet.org/membership/sme-board-of-directors-internship-program for more information and an application.