Rosenthal, Olds, Miskimins to receive Montana Technological University’s Distinguished Alumni Awards

Three outstanding alumni will be recognized during Homecoming Week as Distinguished Alumni of Montana Technological University. The awards are conferred by the Montana Tech Alumni Association.

“These three individuals are the true definition of what it means to be an Oredigger,” Director of Alumni Engagement Sean Ryan said. “As Montana Tech alumni they have each made tremendous impacts in their professional fields and in their communities all while proudly representing Montana Technological University.” 

Over the past 124 years, Montana Tech alumni have used their connections and opportunities to help change the world. This year’s honorees have been influential in the fields of petroleum and mining engineering. They include Dr. Scott Rosenthal (B.S. Mining Engineering, 1982, MPEM, 2011), Nick Olds (Petroleum Engineering, 1992), and Dr. Jennifer L. Miskimins (B.S. Petroleum Engineering, 1990).

 “The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes those who have had outstanding success in their career while also bringing recognition and distinction to themselves as well as their alma mater,” Chancellor Les Cook said. “These individuals have done all of this and more. I am incredibly proud of Scott, Nick, and Jennifer for all they have accomplished and the contributions they continue to provide to Montana Tech.”

Scott Rosenthal

Associate Mining Engineering Professor and Mining Engineering Department Head Dr. Scott Rosenthal hails from Madison, Wisconsin, but he grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

“My father was a ceramic engineer with Los Alamos National Laboratory who spurred an interest in minerals in me at a young age,” Rosenthal said. “My father helped me to realize that all the cool minerals are found in mines. So, as simple as that, I wanted to work in the mines as an engineer.”

Rosenthal received a football scholarship to Montana Tech, which he paired with an out-of-state fee waiver to make tuition more affordable.

“I chose Montana Tech (then the Montana College of Mineral Science & Technology) after visiting campus and appreciating the opportunities in the mining engineering department, in balance with being exposed to the wide variety of outdoor opportunities, from fishing to hunting to skiing,” Rosenthal said. “Knowing that many of the mines in Butte were in operation at that time really amplified the awareness of the local opportunities for internships and mine visits while drastically improving my educational experience.”

Rosenthal enjoyed his time as a student. He said he’s proud of never having to repeat a class.

“I credit this to enjoying the course content and I had great roommates and study groups,” Rosenthal said. “Maybe my GPA wasn’t the best, but I was able to graduate in four years.  I was a member of the Intercollegiate Mining Team that hosted and won the Sunshine Trophy in the fourth competition. I had internships each year during university and during the last one I met the woman that would become my wife a few years later and is here with me today, 38 years later.”

Scott’s wife Sonya Rosenthal is also an adjunct professor at Montana Tech. They both were named Hometown Heroes for Butte last year after being nominated by both Montana Tech and the World Museum of Mining. The Rosenthals partnered with Epiroc to donate a mucker to the Underground Mine Education Center last year.

“I have worked in nearly every aspect of surface mining during a 31-year career spanning multiple continents and commodities,” Rosenthal said. “From mine engineer to foreman to superintendent to chief engineer to mine manager and ending with a long stint in a corporate office group. While overseas, I was charged with coaching and mentoring Nationals who now work as expatriates and have advanced in their careers. I’ve passed the Professional Engineer Exam and recently completed my doctorate. After engaging with Montana Tech again during my corporate role, I realized a decade or so ago that I wanted to further apply my passion for coaching and mentoring, combined with my mining experience, to teach the engineers of the future. There happened to be a timely opening at Montana Tech and for some reason, they hired me.”

Rosenthal has received the Rose L. and Anna M. Busch Endowment Faculty Achievement Award twice.

“As the Mining Engineering Department Head, I have been able to provide a stable environment for the faculty, which in turn is good for the students,” Rosenthal said. “We have modified our mining curriculum to improve course relevance. Through hard work our undergraduate numbers have increased dramatically, we have added student clubs in Mine Rescue, Explosives, and Women in Engineering, and we continue with strong career outcomes for our graduates. Three graduates recently went to work in Australia. We have instilled in our students the value of giving back through volunteering throughout the community. I am proud to have a leadership role in making this all happen. I am honored to be recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus, and I hope to inspire others to give back any way they can to students at Montana Tech.”

Nick Olds

Nick Olds is an executive vice president, Lower 48, ConocoPhillips. Olds hails from Great Falls, but currently calls Houston, Texas home. Nick has 33 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. He previously served as executive vice president of Global Operations, responsible for the company’s operations in Alaska, Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Other leadership roles he has held include vice president of Corporate Planning & Development, vice president of Mid-Continent Business Unit in the Lower 48, and vice president of North Slope Operations and Development in Alaska.

“My path to Montana Tech was inspired by my family's roots in Butte and the love of learning my grandfather instilled in me,” Olds said. “Living in Great Falls, he introduced me to the math and sciences through many ‘field’ trips including geological tours, hydroelectric dams, and water treatment centers. Eventually, his encouragement led me to attend Montana Tech where I could develop the interests he inspired into a lifelong career through a petroleum engineering degree.”

Olds began his career with predecessor company Conoco in Houston in 1992. Since then, Nick has served in numerous engineering, development, and operations and management positions in Houston, Nigeria, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Canada, and Alaska.

In 2006, he completed the Executive Development Program at the Wharton Business School. He is a board member of Yellowstone Forever and the American Exploration and Production Council. He has also served as a board member on the Montana Tech Foundation Board and Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association. 

In 2019, Nick and Kari Olds established the Olds Family Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship supports students who graduate from a Montana high school, pursuing a four-year degree, and demonstrate financial need.

“We recognize that we are indeed fortunate to be Montana Tech graduates and are very pleased that we can give back to our university and community in a way that offers others the same opportunities we had,” Olds said. “Our four years at Tech provided the foundations of great careers, along with the beginnings of professional networks and lifelong friendships with classmates. We remember our time here fondly, and the Olds Family Endowed Scholarship is our way of saying ‘Thanks’ while encouraging others to follow the same path.”

Olds congratulates his fellow awardees.

“Being named a Distinguished Alumni of Montana Tech is a phenomenal honor and one that I treasure,” Olds said. “When I started at Tech, I never dreamed of the opportunities that such a degree would afford me, and I am grateful every day for the start it gave me to my career and the lifelong friends that I made while there.”

Jennifer L. Miskimins

Jennifer L. Miskimins, Ph.D., PE, (B.S. Petroleum Engineering, 1990) is a professor and department head of petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Miskimins is originally from Torrington, Wyoming, but currently calls Golden, Colorado home.

Miskimins jokes that she ended up at Montana Tech because of a volleyball scholarship.

“I’d never heard of Montana Tech and had planned on going to a different university, when I got a call from the volleyball coach,” Miskimins said. “The rest is history. While at school, I was fortunate to be an NAIA Academic All-American twice. My biggest accomplishment was making life-long friends–several of my teammates are still in my life. My best friend to this day, Rona Dickson Peters, was a teammate.”

There was a bit of serendipity also involved in Miskimins choice of major.

“Again, fate stepped in and I had an internship with Marathon Oil after my freshman year,” Miskimins said. “I fell in love with the profession and more than 30 years later, I’m still working in the area.”

Since she left Montana Tech, Miskimins has supervised 26 Ph.D. and master’s degree students. She has been voted Outstanding Faculty by the graduating Colorado School of Mines Class 18 times. In 2014, she received the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) International Completions Optimization and Technology Award. In 2022, she served as the president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), and received the SPE International Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty. That same year the 1988 Montana Tech Volleyball Team was voted into the Oredigger Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2023, Miskimins received Society of Petroleum Engineers International Distinguished Membership. In 2026, she will serve as international president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

“Being named a Distinguished Alumni of Montana Tech is a phenomenal honor and one that I treasure,” Miskimins said. “When I started at Montana Tech, I never dreamed of the opportunities that such a degree would afford me, and I am grateful every day for the start it gave me to my career and the lifelong friends that I made while there.”