Ellen Essien, a Ph.D. student in mining engineering at Missouri S&T, has been named a 2026 Faculty for the Future Fellow by the Schlumberger Foundation. 
 
“Growing up in Ghana and understanding the challenges many women face in pursuing STEM fields, this fellowship is especially meaningful to me,” Essien says. “It will provide the support I need to advance my research in autonomous mining systems and apply it to improving mining practices both in my home country and around the world.” 
 
The Faculty for the Future Fellowship is an international program launched by the Schlumberger Foundation in 2004 that awarded its 1,000^th fellowship earlier this year. 
 
The program provides financial and professional support to women from developing and emerging economies pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with an emphasis on research that addresses challenges in their home countries.  
 
At Missouri S&T, Essien’s research focuses on integrating autonomous systems and artificial intelligence into mining operations to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability. 
 
Her work, which is under the direction of Dr. Samuel Frimpong, a professor of mining and explosives engineering, is supported in part by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 
 
Essien began her studies at Missouri S&T in August 2024. Earlier this year, she was also awarded the Syd S. and Felicia F. Peng Ground Control in Mining Scholarship by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Foundation.   
 
Before coming to Rolla, she worked in industry roles with Newmont Africa and Ghana Manganese Company in Ghana.  
 
In 2021, Essien earned a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa in Ghana, where she was named Best Female Mining Engineer for her graduating class. 
 
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 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.