Montana Tech Environmental Engineering Program Invites You To Celebrate
50 Years of Excellence in Environmental Engineering: proud of the Past, aware of the Present, and striving for the Future
To commemorate this event, members of the Environmental Engineering Department faculty and its esteemed Industrial Advisory Board will host a celebration and technical workshop on the Montana Tech campus on September 14th - 16th.
The event will kick off on Thursday, September 14th at noon with a keynote speaker, a presentation of alumni and student accomplishments, and a campus tour. We will cap off the celebration with an evening Gala to honor and celebrate 50 years of excellence in Environmental Engineering at Montana Tech.
Registration fee includes:
- Access to all scheduled technical workshops (CE Credit)
- Food and beverage (breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch)
- Dinner for one and two drink tickets for the 50th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, September 14th at the Front Street Station (guests of alumni may attend for an additional fee)
- Alumni Tailgate Party before Homecoming on Saturday, September 16th
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Corporate SponsorshipOur Sponsors
The Technical Workshop (CE Credit) will begin on Friday, September 15th at 9 am and will include the following topics:
- Role of Environmental Engineers in Natural Resources Industries
- Environmental Challenges of the Future
- Environmental Education to Meet Future Industry Needs
- Sustainability in Natural Resources Industries
- Restoration techniques for Air, Water, and Land
- Waste As a Resource for the Future
Homecoming week will be running in tandem with our celebration and we encourage you to stay through Saturday, September 16th to join us for an Alumni Reunion Tailgate Party and to cheer on the Orediggers as they take on Eastern Oregon University! If this is an option you are interested in, please select yes when you process your registration.
For additional questions please contact Susie Anderson at 406-496-4311.
Discounted Reunion Hotel Rooms for Alumni
The Best Western Plus Butte Plaza Inn (20 rooms), Hampton Inn (20 rooms) and The Copper King Hotel & Convention Center (40 rooms) are offering discounted rates as follows:
- Best Western Plus Butte Plaza - $98 per night.
- To book your room at the Best Western, please call (406) 494-3500 and ask for the Montana Tech Environmental Engineering 50th Celebration Rate.
- Hampton Inn - $104 per night.
- To book your room at the Hampton Inn, please call (406) 494-2250 and ask for the Montana Tech Environmental Engineering 50th Celebration Rate.
- The Copper King Hotel & Convention Center - $149 2 Queen Beds, $210 1 King Bed.
- To book your room at the Copper King, please call 406-533-6960 and ask for Montana Tech Environmental Engineering 50th Celebration Rate.
Schedule of Events
| 1:00 PM | Welcome & Introduction of Karen Helfrich, President of Montana Tech’s Environmental Engineering Industrial Advisory Board Kumar Ganesan, PhD, Montana Tech |
| 1:10 PM | Karen Helfrich (Class of ‘09 & ‘11), Pioneer Technical Services |
| 1:15 PM | Opening Remarks Chancellor Les Cook, Montana Tech |
| 1:30 PM | Keynote Address: The Boundaries of Environmental Engineering Dave Vaccari, PhD, PE, BCEE, President, American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientist (AAEE&S) |
| 2:00 PM | International Aspects of Environmental Engineering Provost Nosa Egiebor, PhD, Montana Tech |
| 2:30 PM | Angela Lueking, PhD, Vice Chancellor of Research & Dean of Graduate Studies |
| 2:40 PM | Ken Lee, PhD, PE, Dean, School of Mines & Engineering |
| 2:45 PM | Jaime Heppler, Chief Executive Officer, Montana Tech Foundation |
| 3:00 PM | Break |
| 3:15 PM | Keynote Address: Environmental Engineering’s Role in Improving our Landscapes Elizabeth Erickson, Water & Environmental Technologies |
| 3:45 PM | Evolution of Environmental Practices in Montana Chris Dorrington, Director, Montana Department of Environmental Quality |
| 4:15 PM | Montana Tech Environmental Engineering at 50 Years Glenn Eurick (Class of ’77), Environmental Issues & Images Group LLC & Jeff Chaffee (Class of ‘77), Chaffee Consulting LLC |
| 4:45 PM | 50th Anniversary Plaque Ceremony |
| 6:00 PM | Gala at the Front Street Station (catered by Casagranda’s Steakhouse) |
| 7:30 AM | Registration & Breakfast Buffet |
| Morning Session 1: SUB Copper Lounge | |
| 8:30 AM | Keynote Address: Clean Air Act at 50+ Years: Successes and Unfinished Business Merlyn Hough, PE, BCEE, Past President, Air & Waste Management Association |
| Human Health & the Environment Session | |
| 9:00 AM | A Brief History of Ambient Particulate Data from Butte, Montana Hal Robbins, Bison Engineering, Inc. |
| 9:30 AM | Resilient Butte - Sustainability, Health, and Resilience Plan (SHARP): Climate Solutions for a Healthy Butte Stephen Coe (Class of ‘93), PE, Water & Environmental Technologies |
| 10:00 AM | Break |
| Environmental Engineering Responsibilities Session | |
| 10:20 AM | Value Added Opportunities: One Way to Make a Difference Robin Bullock, Montana Tech |
| 10:50 AM | A 20-year-plus Journey in Consulting, Mining, Processing, and Recycling Kevin Mitchum (Class of ’97), Sibanye-Stillwater |
| 11:20 AM | Update on Recent Environmental Law and Related Public Lands Issues Jacob Dillon, Crowley Fleck |
| Morning Session 2: SUB Big Butte/Highlands Room | |
| 8:30 AM | Keynote Address: Defining My Environmental Engineering Career Beth Fifield Hodgson, PE, F.NSPE, Current PNWIS President |
| New Techniques of Environmental Assessments Session | |
| 9:00 AM | Incorporating Cutting Edge Assessment Tools into Legacy Mercury Mine Sites: Blending the Old with the New Steve Dent, PhD (Class of ’03 & ’05) CDM Smith |
| 9.30 AM | A Day in the Life of an Environmental Engineer Casey Phillips, Nucor |
| 10:00 AM | Break |
| Water Session | |
| 10:20 AM | sUAS-based Thermal Remote Sensing to Quantify Cold-water Refuges in Streams Raja Nagisetty, PhD, PE, w/ Megan Olson, Nathan Cook & Alex Leone, Montana Tech |
| 10:50 AM | Waste as a Resource for the Future Kevin McDonough, UCC Environmental |
| 11:20 AM | Climate-responsive Pollution Control and Resource Recovery using Water/Wastewater Treatment and Desalination Technologies Jin Yong Choi, PhD, Montana Tech |
| 11:50 AM | Group moves to the Environmental Engineering tent located in front of the Library. |
| Noon | Enjoy lunch while watching the Bed Races (lunch is provided) |
| Afternoon Session: SUB Copper Lounge | |
| Groundwater Session | |
| 1:15 PM | PCB Mineralization in Contaminated GW Using UV/AOP John Haney, Haley & Aldrich |
| 1:45 PM | Using Geospatial and Geostatistical Models Created with Leapfrog Works and a Numerical Groundwater Flow Model with Groundwater Modeling System to Visualize Site Data and Inform Remediation Design Karen Helfrich (Class of ‘09 & ‘11) & Ross Monasmith (Class of '19), Pioneer Technical Services |
| 2:15 PM | Groundwater Resources in Montana John LaFave, Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology |
| 2:45 PM | Groundwater Simulation of Longwall Coal Mining Operation in Tongue River Member Strata of the Tertiary Fort Union Formation Brad Rutherford, Chelle Carney (Class of '22), Rachel Hadley, Water & Environmental Technologies |
| 3:30 PM | Break |
| Environmental Engineering & the Mining Industry Session | |
| 4:00 PM | Value of Montana Tech’s Environmental Engineers to the Mining Industry Jack Stranda, Montana Resources |
| 4:30 PM | Role of Environmental Engineers in Natural Resources Industries Kevin McDonough, UCC Environmental |
| 6:00 PM | Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at the Butte Country Club |
| 11:00 AM | Tailgate Party! Enjoy food, drinks, and swag! |
| 1:00 PM | Football Game vs Eastern Oregon - GO DIGGERS! |