Please join us for the second Georgia Partnerships for Essential Minerals (GEMs) Workshop, hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, and the Georgia Mining Association (GMA). The workshop will be held on Georgia Tech campus on September 12-13, 2024.
Together with the GMA and the three Georgia R1 research universities, participants will converge to:
- Develop a state and regional ecosystem demonstrating a critical mineral supply chain from resources to solutions to end users
- Establish a regional critical mineral consortium to facilitate resource exploration, characterization, processing, and utilization
- Focus on workforce training for this emerging industry
- Create official industry-university collaborations that include internships, field trips, curricular training, R&D collaboration, and stakeholder liaisons
Workshop organizers
Yuanzhi Tang, Professor; Director, Center for Critical Mineral Solutions, Georgia Tech
Paul Schroeder, Professor, University of Georgia
Crawford Elliott, Associate Professor, Georgia State University
Lee Lemke, Executive Vice President, Georgia Mining Association
Sponsors
Georgia Tech: Strategic Energy Institute, Center for Critical Mineral Solutions
University of Georgia: Department of Geology
Georgia State University: Department of Geosciences
Georgia Mining Association
Directions
Workshop Location
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Seminar Room (Room 1005)
Krone Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB)
950 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332
Directions to the Krone Building
Evening Reception and Poster Session Location
Atrium
Marcus Nanotechnology Building
345 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Directions to the Marcus Building
Parking
North Campus Parking Deck W23 (Area 5) is recommended. The road access is from State Street and 10th. Note: Atlantic Drive is open to foot traffic only. Parking validation to Deck W23 will be provided.
Local Hotels
Georgia Tech is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta and has a wide variety of hotel options to choose from. Georgia Tech has partnered with a variety of nearby hotels to provide discounted rates to our visitors. View our hotel list and pricing on our Campus Travel page.
Agenda
| September 12, 2024 |
| 9:00 – 9:10 am Welcome Susan Lozier, Sutherland Chair and Professor; Dean, College of Sciences Tim Lieuwen, Regents’ Professor; Interim Executive Vice President for Research |
| 9:10 – 9:25 am Workshop introduction Yuanzhi Tang, Professor; Director, Center for Critical Mineral Solutions, Georgia Tech Lee Lemke, Executive Vice President, Georgia Mining Association Paul Schroeder, Professor, University of Georgia Crawford Elliott, Associate Professor, Georgia State University |
| 9:25 – 9:55 am Keynote Jane Hammarstrom, Geologist, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, US Geological Survey |
| 9:55 – 10:15 am Invited Talk Edward Rooks, State Geologist, Georgia Environmental Protection Division “Reestablishing the Georgia Geological Survey?” |
| 10:15 – 10:25 am Break |
| 10:25 – 10:45 am Invited Talk Lee Lemke, Executive Vice President, Georgia Mining Association “An Overview of Georgia’s Mineral Industry” |
| 10:45 – 11:05 am Invited Talk J. Mason Graham, Lands Manager, KaMin “From the Ground Up – A Kaolin Mining Review” |
| 11:05 – 11:25 am Invited Talk Karl Lang, Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech “Analytical techniques for REE-bearing minerals” |
| 11:25 – 12:00 pm Panel Discussion – Resources |
| 12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch |
| 1:00 – 1:20 pm Invited Talk Prakash Malla, President, Quantum Industrial Minerals “Rare Earths in Georgia Kaolin: Kaolin Processing in Relation to REE Recovery – Opportunities and Challenges” |
| 1:20 – 1:40 pm Invited Talk Crawford Elliott, Associate Professor, Georgia State University “Rare-earth element Resources, Upper Coastal Plain, Georgia” |
| 1:40 – 2:00 pm Invited Talk Jim Renner, Manager of Environmental Stewardship, Chemours |
| 2:00 – 2:15 pm Break |
| 2:15 – 2:35 pm Invited Talk Lucas Moreno Kristiansen, VP Growth & New Business Development, York Building Products “Beneficial Use of Low Grade and Discarded Clays for the Production of Concrete Products” |
| 2:35 – 2:55 pm Invited Talk Bill Jin, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University “Industrial Waste Valorization through Innovative Concrete Technology” |
| 2:55 – 3:15 pm Invited Talk Fan Shi, Senior Research General Engineer, National Energy Technology Laboratory “Multi-functional Sorbent Development for Separation of Critical Minerals and Materials and Pollutants” |
| 3:15 – 3:35 pm Invited Talk Valerie Thomas, Professor, Georgia Tech “Recovery of Critical Minerals – Availability, Economic and Environmental Considerations” |
| 3:35 – 3:55 pm Invited Talk Adam Milewski, Professor and Geology Department Head, University of Georgia “Fundamentals of Carbon, Capture, and Storage & CarbonSAFE Program” |
| 3:55 – 4:40 pm Panel Discussion – R&D |
| 5:00 – 7:00 pm Reception with Poster Session, Marcus Nanotechnology Building |
| September 13, 2024 |
| 8:30 – 9:00 am Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 – 9:10 am Day 1 Recap, Day 2 Overview |
| 9:10 – 9:40 am Keynote Jamon Williams, Director of Business Service, Technical College System of Georgia |
| 9:40 – 10:00 am Invited Talk Andy Marshall, Executive Director, Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Technology Commercialization in Mining and Heavy Industry” |
| 10:00 – 10:15 am Break |
| 10:15 – 10:35 am Invited Talk Suzanne Hallman, Director of Business Operations, Georgia Southern University “Supporting Entrepreneurs in Rural Georgia” |
| 10:35 – 11:05 am Invited Talk Jennifer Hirsch, Senior Director, Center for Sustainable Communities Research & Education Gregory Randolph, Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech “Collaborating with Communities” |
| 11:05 – 11:45 pm Panel Discussion – Workforce, Community, Development Scott McWhorter, Distinguished External Fellow, Strategic Energy Institute Yuanzhi Tang, Professor, Georgia Tech |
| 12:00 pm Grab-n-go Lunch, Post-symposium Working Sessions |