Previous PEM Seminars
PEM 2026
| 8:00 am |
Seminar Introduction Karen Rose, PEM Chair, SynTerra Corp Zach Agioutantis, Chair, UK Department of Mining Engineering |
| 8:15 am |
Kentucky Regulatory Environmental Roundtable
|
| 10:15 am | Networking Break (15 minutes) Alumni picture-meet in the front of the room |
| 10:30 am |
Case Study on CBM Degasification for a CM Section Josh Lord, MSHA Technical Support |
| 10:55 am |
Geotechnical Considerations for Converting Underground Stone Mines into Data Centers Mark Haddock, Principal Engineer, Rocksmith Geoengineering |
| 11:20 am |
Borehole Geophysics for Mining Conditions Characterization and Rare Earth Element/Critical Mineral Exploration Kevin Andrews, Vice President/Principal Geologist, Marshall Miller & Associates |
| 11:45 am |
Aggregates: The Bedrock of Kentucky’s Economy Nick Rodgers, Executive Director, Kentucky Crushed Stone Association |
| 12:10 pm | Lunch (50 minutes) |
| 1:00 pm |
Short Term Mine Planning Best Practice Morgan Lane, PE, RESPEC |
| 1:25 pm |
Developing The Next Generation of Engineers Kristin Floyd, Manager of UG Mine Planning, Rogers Group |
| 1:50 pm |
Engineering & Rock Mechanics Considerations for Undermining Large Bodies of Water Chris Newman, Geomechanical Engineer, Appalachian Mining & Engineering |
| 2:15 pm |
Coal in Kentucky: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Road Ahead Sam McKown, President, Kentucky Coal Association |
| 2:40 pm | Networking Break |
| 3:00 pm | Advanced Mine Sensing and Infrastructure Assessment: Automated Drone Inspection Systems for Underground Room-and-Pillar Mines Julian Brown, MS Candidate, University of Kentucky |
| 3:25 pm |
Development of a Groundwater Numerical Model for Estimating Groundwater Inflow in Multiple Seam Mining Zach Wedding, PhD, Groff Engineering |
| 3:50 pm |
Predicting Ground Vibrations from Blasting Using Geophysics Methods and Models Daykin Schnell, PE, PhD Candidate, University of Kentucky |
| 4:15 pm | Adjournment |
PEM 2025
| 8:00 am |
Seminar Introduction Carolyn McCannon, P.E., PEM Chair, RESPEC Zach Agioutantis, Chair, UK Department of Mining Engineering |
| 8:15 am |
National Leadership of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) and Member Societies
Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST)
Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)
Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME)
|
| 10:15 am | Networking Break (15 minutes) Alumni picture-meet in the front of the room |
| 10:30 am | Highwall Mining in Thick Seams - Case Histories - Dave Newman, Appalachian Engineering |
| 10:55 am | Converting UG Mines to Storage – Key Mining and Engineering Considerations – Mark Haddock, RockSmith Geoengineering |
| 11:20 am | Mineral Reserves Reporting, Seriously. - Brian Groff, Groff Engineering & Consulting |
| 11:45 am | AI Applications in CAD Drafting, Tyler Faulkner, Carlson Software |
| 12:10 pm | Networking Lunch (50 minutes) |
| 1:00 pm |
Kentucky Regulatory Environmental Roundtable
|
| 2:30 pm | State and Federal Legal and Regulatory Update: Industry Perspective, R. Clay Larkin, Dentons |
| 2:55 pm | Networking Break (15 minutes) |
| 3:10 pm | Autonomous Shuttle Car Development, Changes for In-Mine Testing, Steven Schafrik, University of Kentucky |
| 3:35 pm | Estimating Groundwater Inflow for Longwall Operations, Zach Wedding, University of Kentucky |
| 4:00 pm | Mine Planning Considerations for Large Development Projects – Kristin Floyd, Rogers Group Inc. |
| 4:25 pm | Adjournment |
PEM 2024
| 8:00 a.m. |
Seminar Introduction Kristin Floyd, P.E., PEM Chair, Rogers Group Inc. Zach Agioutantis, Chair, UK Department of Mining Engineering J. Steve Gardner, on behalf of SME Foundation |
| 8:15 a.m. |
Kentucky Regulatory Environmental Roundtable Gordon Slone, Commissioner, Department for Natural Resources Courtney Skaggs, Acting Director, KY Reclamation Guaranty Fund Justin Adams, Director, Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement James Cable, Director, Division of Abandoned Mine Lands Tim Fugate, Director, Division of Mine Safety Wes Jones, Director, Division of Mine Permits |
| 10:15 a.m. | Networking Break (15-Minutes) |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Sustainable Intelligent Mining: From Considerate Strategic Planning to Operational Excellence Ali Moradi, Assistant Professor, UK Department of Mining Engineering |
| 10:55 a.m. |
The impending solar PV waste tsunami: a critical materials opportunity Jack Groppo, Professor, UK Department of Mining Engineering |
| 11:20 a.m. |
Design of Rib Support (DORS) Tool Khaled Mohamed, CDC/NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 11:45 am |
S-K 1300 – Results as of 2023 Justin Douthat, P.E., Executive Vice President, Marshall Miller & Associates, Inc. |
| 12:10 | Lunch (50-Minutes) |
| 1:00 p.m. |
Seismic Forecasting, Evolving from Empirical Methods to a Numerical Approach Yuting Xue, CDC/NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 1:25 p.m. |
Revisiting Stress Distribution in Underground Pillars Zachary Wedding, UK Department of Mining Engineering |
| 1:50 p.m. |
Illuminating the Dark: SLAM LIDAR Mapping Underground James Kenney, PMP, CMSL, Wingfield Scale & Measure, Chattanooga, TN |
| 2:30 p.m. |
Board of Licensure Updates Kyle Elliott, PLS, Executive Director, KYBOELS, Frankfort, KY |
| 2:55 p.m. | Networking Break (15 minutes) |
| 3:10 p.m. |
Limestone Highwall Assessment David Newman, President, Appalachian Mining & Engineering |
| 3:35 p.m. |
Engineering Ethics - The Crandall Canyon Disaster Dana Howard, Member, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC John Feddock, P.E., Consultant, Lexington, KY |
| 4:00 p.m. |
Factors `in Two Deep Cover Coal Mine Disasters John Feddock, P.E., Consultant, Lexington, KY |
| 4:25 p.m. | Adjournment |