Dr. Michael Moats, professor and chair of materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T, has been elected to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) 2025 class of Fellows. 
 
“Over 30 years ago, I joined SME as an undergraduate student primarily to apply for a scholarship,” Moats says. “At the time, I would not have imagined that I would one day be honored by this society as a Fellow and join the ranks of these elite researchers and industry professionals. This is an amazing honor, and I am truly appreciative.” 
 
The SME website notes that Fellows must have been full members of the organization for at least 15 years and have “demonstrated significant and sustained contributions to the minerals industry and to SME.” 
 
SME has over 15,000 members, with 170 currently having Fellow status. In 2018, Moats was awarded SME’s James Douglas Gold Medal. 
 
Moats has been a member of the Missouri S&T faculty since 2012. In 2023, he was named area lead for enhancing and diversifying supply for the Critical Materials Innovation Hub led by Ames National Laboratory. He was also named an executive council member for the Missouri S&T-led Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Regional Innovation and Technology Hub supported by the CHIPS and Science Act. 
 
He has previously held academic positions at the University of Utah and worked in industry roles at ARMCO Grinding Systems in Kansas City, Missouri and ELTECH Systems Corp. in Ohio. 
 
Moats is an alumnus of Missouri S&T, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1992 and master’s degree in 1995, both in metallurgical engineering. He earned a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Arizona in 1999. 
 
Some of his research interests include the aqueous processes and electrochemistry of metals, especially hydro- and electrometallurgy for the production of non-ferrous metals.  
 
For more information about S&T’s materials science and engineering programs, visit mse.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 located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.