Student design team places 2nd at SME MINEXCHANGE 2026

Last month, 40 University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering students attended MINEXCHANGE 2026, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Annual Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. UK mining engineering faculty and students also presented 27 papers. 

Taking top honors, AggVision Consulting, the UK Mining Engineering student design team, earned second place in the SME/National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) Design Competition. The recognition reflects months of dedication, teamwork, technical excellence and late nights refining their project.

The SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition is a two-phase, team-based competition involving an aggregate mining technical design and an oral presentation. The technical design phase takes place during the first semester of the school year on each team’s campus. In the second phase of the competition, students have one weekend to solve a design problem and present their findings to a panel of judges. The competition is designed to simulate an engineering project prepared by an engineering group for a company. Past problems have highlighted the challenges of mine planning, plant design, reserve modeling and feasibility analysis.

Additional honors went to the Metals Mine Design Team, selected to compete in the finals, and freshmen Daniel Hyland, Avren Zimmerman and Ryan Dunn, who won second place in the Women's Auxiliary to the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (WAAIME) Selfie Tag Game. 

SME MINEXCHANGE 2026 Papers Authored by UK Professors and Students

A Critical Literature Review on Geotechnical Design and Stability in the Transition from Open Pit to Underground Mines, M. Sesay, A. Moradi, Z. Agioutantis, P. Roghanchi and S. Schafrik; University of Kentucky
Adapting an Autonomous Shuttle Car Navigation Routine to ROS, A. Lupachino, Z. Agioutantis, S. Schafrik; University of Kentucky
An Autonomous Drone Inspection System for Underground Room and Pillar Mines, K. Joao, H. Khaniani, V. Androulakis, M. Hassanalian, S. Shao and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky, Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico Tech
Automated Post-Disaster Monitoring in Underground Mines Using Image and Point Cloud Analysis, A. Tejada Peralta, K. Joao, H. Khaniani, V. Androulakis, M. Hassanalian, S. Shao and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and Colorado School of Mines
Cavitation Tubes for Flotation Pre-Aeration and Gangue Mineral Depression for a Bastnasite Concentration Application, C. Ratliff, B. Ji and R. Honaker; University of Kentucky
Characterization and Toxicity Analysis of Respirable Mine Dust and Crystalline Silica Dust in Non-Metal Mines, S. Siahidouzazar, T. Sharmba, M. Rezaee and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky and Penn State University
Deep Learning–Driven Hyperspectral Mapping of Critical Minerals: A Case Study from the Northern Mojave Desert, California, J. Habashi, I. Masoumi and A. Moradi; University of Kentucky
Development of a Carbon Negative Process for Comminution Energy Reduction and Improved Energy‑Relevant Mineral Extraction, M. Free, X. Yang, R. Honaker and W. Zhang; University of Utah,  University of Kentucky and Virginia Tech
Development of Site-Specific Subsidence Model Parameters for Past Longwall Mining Operations, C. Hernandez-Garcia, B. Diddle and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Enhancing Chalcopyrite Liberation and Flotation Performance through CO₂‑Assisted Grinding, Y. Wang, X. Wang, W. Zhang and R. Honaker; Virginia Tech and University of Kentucky
Enhancing Mine Evacuation Systems with Machine Learning and Digital Twin Based Graph Neural Networks, N. Crosato, N. Mojtabai, M. Hassanalian, P. Roghanchi and H. Khaniani; New Mexico Tech and University of Kentucky
Estimating Groundwater Inflow for Longwall Mines in Multiple Seam Mining Scenarios Using Numerical Modeling, Z. Wedding and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Generative AI in Mining Engineering Graduate Education: Examining the Effects of ChatGPT on Cognitive Engagement, Critical Thinking, and Ethical Beliefs, N. Cunningham, R. Alhaj Bedar, S. Schafrik, A. Moradi, Z. Agioutantis and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky
Importance of Conducting Pre-Blast Surveys for Site and Structures to Help Ensure Operational Success, D. Schnell, J. Calnan and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Incorporating Seam Geometry and Spatial Orientation into Surface Deformation Prediction Above Longwall Mining, B. Diddle, C. Hernandez-Garcia and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Mining Engineering Education: Curriculum Design and Early Outcomes, R. Alhaj Bedar, S. Schafrik, A. Moradi, Z. Agioutantis and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky
Ionic Liquids in Leaching and Solvent Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Based Sources, E. Guney, B. Ji and R. Honaker; University of Kentucky
Mining Under Flooded Mine Workings and Other Sources of Groundwater, Z. Wedding and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Parameterizing Drone Flight in Underground Mine Environments: Is There an Optimal Flight Path?, C. Spurlock, G. Rath and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky
Predictive Human‑Machine Interaction for Underground Mine Rescue Using VR and LSTM‑Based Decision Modeling, M. Van Wyk, R. Bakzadeh, P. Roghanchi, M. Hassanalian and H. Khaniani; New Mexico Tech, and University of Kentucky
Process Flowsheet Development for Niobium and Rare Earth Production from the Regoliths Associated with the Hicks Dome Deposit, K. Sierra, B. Ji, S. Hanson and R. Honaker; University of Kentucky
Rare Earths, Graphite, and Other Critical Minerals Recovery from a Bituminous Coal Source, H. Khalid, R. Honaker, B. Ji and J. Groppo; University of Kentucky
Sequential Recovery of Iron and Rare Earth Elements from Coal‑Derived Acid Leachate via Dual‑Adsorbent Strategy, Y. Pan, W. Zhang and R. Honaker; Virginia Tech and University of Kentucky
The Effect of Element Size and Lamination Thickness on Pillar Stability Factor When Applying LaModel to Underground Stone Mining, B. Diddle and Z. Agioutantis; University of Kentucky
Toward Effective Interfaces for Underground Rescue Robots: Incorporating Human Factors and End Users’ Needs, R. Bakzadeh, H. Khaniani, V. Androulakis, M. Hassanalian, S. Shao and P. Roghanchi; University of Kentucky, New Mexico Tech and Colorado School of Mines
Tracking Shuttle Car Loading Weight and Distribution, J. Strydom, S. Schafrik, Z. Agioutantis and D. Beck; University of Kentucky
Using LaModel for Analyzing Stress Distribution in Benched Areas for Possible Massive Stone Pillar Collapse, D. Tuncay, Z. Agioutantis and A. Elibol; University of Kentucky and West Virginia University