Dr. Karl E. Burgher, interim chair of economics and finance at the University of Missouri-Rolla, was named associate director for outreach and technology transfer at the Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center.

The Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center, located at Colorado State University, was formed in November 2001 with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to research new, more cost-effective methods for cleaning up mine waste sites, as well as improving existing methods. One of five regional centers across the country, it is a collaborative effort of Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and Montana Tech of the University of Montana.

The center also provides technology transfer, technical outreach and service to communities and technical assistance for brownfields sites, which are sites whose expansion or redevelopment is hindered by the presence of contaminants, hazardous substances or pollutants.

In addition to his interim position in UMR’s economics and finance department, Burgher holds a joint visiting appointment in the mining engineering department. He is also professor of mining engineering at Montana Tech of the University of Montana and director of the university’s Mine Waste Technology Programs, a center that specializes in the remediation of mining wastes with outreach, new media and continuing education components.

Burgher earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1984 and a doctorate in mining engineering in 1985, both from UMR. Prior to that he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mining engineering from Michigan Technological University. He is a licensed professional engineer.