UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Younes Shekarian, a doctoral degree candidate in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering received the SME Ph.D. Fellowship grant from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). The award helps support exceptional doctoral students who are seeking a career in academia.
Shekarian said he was overcome with gratitude when he learned about receiving the fellowship.
“I was overwhelmed with excitement,” said Shekarian. “It was a profound moment, a real validation to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as SME. It gave me a sense of immense pride, but there was a sense of responsibility knowing that I've been granted this honor and the expectations that come with it.”
Shekarian said he was thankful for all the support he received from his advisers as well as his wife for their insightful feedback and encouragement that continues to push him forward on his near-lifelong journey to become a tenured professor.
Shekarian's interest in teaching started early in his life from watching his father, who taught in preliminary school, he explained. Seeing how his father enjoyed his work, and hearing him speak about the pleasure of learning, inspired Shekarian to become a mentor in high school, he said. Once he realized he had developed his own love for teaching, the decision to pursue a career in academia was simple.
“It's very important to choose a career that you love,” said Shekarian. “I learned from my dad that teaching is among the most rewarding professions, and when I first experienced how I could make a difference in a student's life, to inspire them, I knew he was right. I wanted a career where I could feel that.”
He said his passion for science developed in chemistry and mineral processing classes when he extracted valuable metals like copper from rocks. Shekarian described the emergence of a real thirst for learning and a rich joy that came with sharing knowledge the first time he had to conduct his own experiments and report his findings. During an undergraduate internship, he realized his appreciation for the more rigorous engineering process.
In Shekarian’s mind, his curiosity naturally led him to mining and mineral processing, a field that he considers to be among the most dynamic and fascinating. He said he finds the opportunity to work with a variety of mineral types keeps things interesting. The fact that almost every technology and infrastructure advancement begin with the minerals they use, gives him a real sense of responsibility knowing his work can be the foundation of a positive difference, he said.
Shekarian’s adviser, Mohammad Rezaee, associate professor of mining engineering, said he noticed Shekarian’s zeal the moment Shekarian joined Rezaee's research group. He watched Shekarian take every opportunity to foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment, and said he believes the award is an affirmation of Shekarian's hard work.
“The rigorous selection process for this fellowship, which is highly competitive, reaffirms the excellence of Younes's research contributions and his potential to make significant contributions to the field,” said Rezaee. “His passion for teaching is evident through his role as a teaching assistant and in his interactions with peers and colleagues. Moreover, he has proactively sought out teaching courses and obtained teaching certificates to refine his pedagogical skills. His multifaceted engagement underscores his dedication to research, teaching, and service — the foundational pillars of a successful professorship.”
Shekarian said he is happy the grant also will help him to continue his work on the development of a novel chemical-free process for the sustainable recovery of cobalt and manganese from low-concentration aqueous streams. Listed as critical elements by the U.S. Department of Interior, cobalt and manganese have critical applications in the high-tech industry and the primary resources of these elements are limited within the United States. Shekarian said he believes it is critical to explore and extract these elements from various viable secondary sources, such as the 5,500 miles of streams identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as associated with mining and processing of coal and various ore deposits. The potential impact is enormous for Pennsylvania, said Shekarian, and he is proud that his work, and the work of those he teaches, will play a part in creating a more sustainable future.
Shekarian received his master's in mineral engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 2020, and his master’s in mining engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) in Iran in 2014. He earned a bachelor's in mining engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology in 2012.
SME is an international professional society of engineers, geologists, metallurgists, educators, students, and researchers that seek to advance the worldwide mining and underground construction community through information exchange and professional development. The fellowship program is meant to address the long-term challenges that threaten the sustainability of U.S. mining and mineral processing/extractive metallurgy academic degree-granting programs, as well as the looming future labor deficiencies associated with retirements over the next two decades.