Missouri University of Science and Technology has received a $250,000 gift from Peabody Energy to help fund the renewal and expansion of Missouri S&T’s Rock Mechanics Facility.

The facility provides an environment for rock sample preparation and testing, formation characterization, safety and stability performance, and ground control modeling and analysis.

A testing laboratory for rock mechanics is an important facet of any mining engineering program, says Dr. Samuel Frimpong, chair of mining and nuclear engineering at S&T. S&T’s facility supports the undergraduate and graduate programs in mining, geological, petroleum, civil and environmental engineering. The building is being expanded to respond to the growing enrollment in these programs.

Peabody’s funding is a significant step toward the facility’s renovation, which has a total cost of $1.04 million. The university plans to work with additional industry partners to help fund with this project.

“Peabody is a strong supporter of Missouri S&T’s efforts in educating the finest workforce for the mining industry,” Frimpong says. “The company is actively involved on the university’s Mining Engineering Development Board, offers internship and job placement opportunities, and provides scholarships and financial aid to mining engineering students. Peabody has and will continue to play a significant role in our education efforts.”

According to Frimpong, such gifts are essential to creating sustainable, world-class educational environments for training highly qualified mining engineers.

“We are very pleased to have the support of Peabody Energy, one of our many great industry partners,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader. “This gift will help us continue to provide our mining engineering students, other students and researchers with quality opportunities to succeed in their endeavors.”