UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mohammad Rezaee, assistant professor of mining engineering in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State, has been named a 2021-22 Henry Krumb Lecturer by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME).
Rezaee, who holds the Centennial Early Career Development Professorship in Mining Engineering, was selected for his paper “A Novel Approach for Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash,” presented at the February 2021 SME Annual Conference & Expo.
The Krumb Lecture Series, begun in 1966, was established so that SME sections could hear prominent minerals professionals speak on subjects in which they have recognized expertise. Providing professional development opportunities for the mining industry is an invaluable service provided by the Krumb Lecturer and adheres to the spirit of Henry Krumb himself.
“I would like to thank the SME for selecting me as a Henry Krumb Lecturer,” said Rezaee. “This provides an incredible opportunity for me to share my research with various sectors of mining industry through presenting at SME sections.”
Rezaee will give at least three virtual lectures through September 2022.
“The lectures aim to broaden section appreciation and understanding of important new methods and technologies,” said Rezaee. “I plan to share my research on extraction of critical elements including but not limited to rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminum and precious group metals from primary and secondary sources.”
Rezaee’s research addresses the development of sustainable mining waste disposal practices from which valuables such as critical elements can be recovered for commercial use, while the remaining materials are processed to generate environmentally benign materials. He received the 2020 Outstanding Young Engineer award from SME, in memory of Subhash Chander, in recognition of his significant contributions in the development of methodologies and applications of mineral processing to enhance the sustainability of mining operations. His research experiences and interests include extraction of critical elements from primary and secondary sources, coal preparation, mineral processing, environmental management, computational fluid dynamics and scale modeling.
Before joining the Penn State faculty in 2018, Rezaee was a postdoctoral research associate in Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering. He also worked for two years as a mining engineer consultant.
Rezaee received his doctorate in 2015 and his master’s degree in 2012, both in mining engineering from the University of Kentucky. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering in 2008 from the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran, Iran.