Dr. Samuel Frimpong, the Robert H. Quenon Endowed Chair and professor of mining engineering at Missouri S&T, was recently appointed to serve on the Botswana International University of Science and Technology Council for a three-year term.

“I am honored to serve as a member of the council,” Frimpong says. “This is a great opportunity to provide leadership support and guidance for the Botswana International University of Science and Technology. It will also serve as a catalyst for innovation and transformation in world-class research and education in science, engineering, and technology and contribute to the growth and development of national and human capital for Botswana.”

Frimpong says he is also excited by the opportunity for Missouri S&T to collaborate with Botswana on an expanded scale.

In a letter announcing Frimpong’s appointment, Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe, Botswana’s minister of education and skills development, said the Botswanan university was established in 2006 through an act of the country’s parliament.

“The university is mandated to provide higher education and training; advance and disseminate knowledge through teaching; and undertake, promote and facilitate research and scholarly investigations,” he said. “The university is also expected to contribute to national and international scientific technological development and contribute to the advancement of the intellectual and human resource capacity of the international community.”

In the letter, Letsholathebe also said he was sure Frimpong would be effective in his new role.  

“I take this opportunity to congratulation you on your new appointment,” he said. “I have the full confidence that you will discharge your duties with diligence.”

Frimpong joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 2004. He has worked in academia and industry roles in over 40 countries around the world.

Frimpong earned a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta and a master’s degree from the University of Zambia, both in mining engineering. He earned a post-graduate diploma and bachelor’s degree in the same subject from the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, Ghana.

At Missouri S&T, Frimpong is director of the Heavy Mining Machinery Research Laboratory and the Mine Escape Research, Innovation and Technology (MERIT) Center. He is also a member of the United Nations Council of Experts on Sustainable Mining and Metals, the College of Reviewers for the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program, and the U.S. Board on Natural Resources.

For more information about Missouri S&T’s mining and explosives engineering programs, visit mee.mst.edu.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.