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Randy (34) graduated Cum Laude from Michigan Technological University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering in May 2002. As a Graduate 
Research Assistant, he evaluated organic layers on gold nanoparticles as vapor sensors, taught students and staff on the operation of state-of-the-art instrumentation and designed test equipment for the project.
Beginning as an Intern at Phelps Dodge Mining Company, Randy steadily advanced to become Chief Mineralogist at Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde in Peru (a Phelps Dodge and, after the merger, Freeport-McMoRan subsidiary). At Cerro Verde, he built and managed the world?s first fully integrated, most advanced mine site Process Mineralogy Lab which supported Geo-Metallurgical work for mine geology, mine planning, heap leaching and concentrator operation.
He is now Chief Mineralogist at FLSmidth’s Ore Characterization & Process Mineralogy Labs in Salt Lake City where he participated in the construction of one of the most advanced plant, process and engineering support labs in the process technology industry.
Randy is one of the leading experts in Advanced Automated Mineral Analysis for mining applications. He pioneered the early SOPs for QEMSCAN concentrator surveys in copper operations and performed the first concentrator survey on a molybdenum concentrator. He also conducted the first full geo-metallurgical profiling of a new porphyry copper ore body together with Dawson Metallurgical Labs. This effort provided cost efficiency in restart and fast optimization of a plant saving the company several million dollars.
Using Automated Mineral Analysis, he advanced heap leach pad surveys (as the first in the world) to a level of forecasting long-term leach recovery via mineralogy and developed additional geo-metallurgical tools for better ore characterization of Cu-Mo ores. Randy also pioneered an HPGR abrasion index test program via mineralogy which could replace time consuming conventional tests. His work in leading the 1st mine site mineralogy lab in copper mining can be considered as some of the most important break-through efforts in modern Process Mineralogy.
This is the second time that the award has been made. Last year the winner was Peter Amelunxen, Director of Metallurgy at Aminpro, Chile.
Randy will be presented with the award at Physical Separation ’13 in Falmouth in June ( www.min-eng.com/physicalseparation13).
A call for nominations for the 2013 award will be made in December, so now is a good time to start thinking of nominating an outstanding young person who has made a significant contribution to mineral processing.
Contact: Dr Barry Wills, MEI, [email protected]
