Dear Fellow Hardrockers,
As always, it’s a great time to be a Hardrocker. If you follow CARA’s (and our university’s) social media accounts and the Hardrocker E-News, you’ll notice there is no shortage of reasons to be excited about our affiliation with South Dakota Mines. Our alumni continue to receive praise nationwide and internationally for their contributions to society, proving that our students and faculty are the very best in STEM. These accolades make us proud, but they also remind us how critical it is to ensure our students continue to receive the best possible educational and campus experiences.
Every project at CARA has students at the forefront. For example, Raising for Rockers raised more than $216,000 for scholarships and the Mines Advancement Fund. Our work with mechanical engineering alumni to grow the Stensaas Lab Endowment will ensure that ME students and faculty never need to worry about having the most up-to-date learning equipment. And thanks to Nucor, who recently gave the largest corporate gift in Mines history, students and faculty will soon enjoy state-of-the-art facilities in the Nucor Mineral Industries Building. Thank you to our alumni and friends who have joined these efforts or, in some cases, have been instrumental in making them happen.
Aside from our fundraising endeavors, we’re honored to connect and celebrate our alumni. Recent alumni events held in Denver, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Houston, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. (the first in-person events post Covid) allowed many of you to form personal and professional connections as well as reminisce about your days on campus. If you’re interested in hosting a gathering near you, send a note to alumni@sdsmt.edu. We’re excited to welcome the Class of 2022 to our alumni family - we look forward to getting to know you as professionals and as friends.
Perhaps the most prominent alumni gathering is our Rocker Days homecoming celebration every fall. If you’ve been meaning to return to campus for Rocker Days, 2022 is the year to make that happen. The first ever Hardrocker Heritage Gala (Sept. 23) will help us honor our alumni award recipients. And you won’t want to miss a special dedication of the restored M Hill (Sept. 24).
Lastly, as we embrace our first digital version of The Hardrock, I encourage you to read the alumni profiles which show the various ways you can give back to our university. Maybe, like Terry Rasmussen (MetE 91) at Nucor, you’ll seize an opportunity to champion a partnership between your organization and Mines. Or, similar to Abby Hart, perhaps you’ll give the gift of a scholarship like the one you received as a student.
As you enjoy this edition of The Hardrock, we hope it makes you feel even prouder to be an alum of South Dakota Mines. Have a great summer, and we hope to see you this September for Rocker Days.
Go Hardrockers!
Julie Carver (GeolE 86)
Chair, CARA Board of Directors
