A trained workforce, exploration and sustainability are vital to the future of critical minerals such as rare earth elements, nickel, platinum and lithium. S&T is hosting a critical minerals workshop on April 26-27, 2021, to look closer at these issues and others. The workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation, will feature speakers and panel discussions focused on increasing discovery and diversified sources, recycling and reprocessing technologies, alternatives to rare earth minerals, and how the law, politics, ethics, and global trade all play a role.

This is the first in a series of planned national workshops on critical minerals. The events will bring together academia, industry and government to provide a collaborative platform to share the latest research and help determine needed action.

John Uhrie, vice president of exploration, research and technical development at Doe Run Company, is among the keynote speakers. Others include Thomas Graedel from Yale University, Michael Magyar with the National Minerals Information Center of the United States Geological Service, and Roderick Eggert from Colorado School of Mines and deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute.

To keep up to date on the workshop, you can sign up for the mail list or regularly check the website at criticalminerals.mst.edu. Registration for the workshop opens Feb. 1, 2021.