SMEMR Alumni & Supporters

Alumni & Supporters

Agents of Change

Our alumni are changing the landscape of mining.

You are filling some of the most important roles in the industry, with companies such as Caterpillar, Freeport-McMoRan, Sundt Construction, McEwen Mining and Oroplata Resources. You have started high-tech businesses and are making mining safer, more efficient and sustainable. And you are in prestigious academic positions teaching and mentoring the next generation of mining engineers and industry leaders.

You are a valued member of the department’s vast network of accomplished and influential graduates. Thank you for your hard work and for inspiring the students who are following in your footsteps!

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Alumni Highlights

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Timothy Snider

Copper Leader's Lasting Legacy

Timothy Snider began his career more than 50 years ago as an underground mine laborer and rose to become president and chief operating officer of Phelps Dodge, one of the world’s largest copper producers. He and his wife, Rhonda, both attended the University of Arizona, and in 2025, the Sniders paid it forward with a $1.5 million gift to establish the Timothy and Rhonda Snider Endowment Fund in support of mining and geological engineering.

"Rhonda and I are very interested in helping first-generation kids who might not be able to pursue science or engineering education otherwise."

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Coal Mine to Boardroom

Barb Filas, BS/ME 1978, climbed from the underground coal mines of Illinois to the board room of a global mining company. She was one of the first women to graduate with a UA degree in mining engineering. The professor of practice at the Colorado School of Mines was recently appointed to serve as a director of Energy Fuels.

"It was certainly a different time. Back when I was in school, a woman in the industry was very much an anomaly."