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Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources: Ask A Pro - Geotechnical Engineer

Today’s Ask a Pro guest is Mara Erhardt, who is a Geotechnical Engineer at Freeport-McMoRan.

Mara earned her BS in Mining Engineering with and emphasis in Geomechanics from the University of Arizona in 2016. Since then, she’s worked in New Mexico in and open pit mine, and now works in Phoenix for the underground planning group that focuses on strategic planning for an underground mining coming complex in Indonesia.

Key Takeaways
Geotechnical Engineers are similar to civil engineers but they get to design projects using rocks. In a typical day Mara Erhardt consults with the mine site, works on ground support design, works on long range mine plans, and gets to travel to a mine site in Indonesia. Something that sets her work apart from a consultant is that she gets to see the project through to the end, which is very rewarding for her.
The mining industry offers a wide variety of career options while still being a small and close-knit community. You can travel the world, have the opportunity to implement your knowledge from your degree, and meet and connect with people from all over the globe.
Mara loved her time at The University of Arizona majoring in Mining Engineering with the geomechanics track. She got amazing experiences participating in research projects and interning for a mining company in Tucson, Arizona. She talks about how great the community is in the Mining Engineering department.

The ‘Ask A Pro’ career-exploration video series gives you a chance to explore your interests and career options by connecting with industry professionals. Through these short interview videos students can hear professionals’ real world experiences!

STEAM Topics STEM Careers Resource Audience Grade Level Tags
Science Topics
Advanced Manufacturing, Geology
Engineering Topics
Materials
Engineer (Materials)
Middle School, High School
6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
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Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources Outreach Program
The University of Arizona, Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources

Everyone should have an opportunity to learn how we use minerals in our lives and where they come from, what modern mining really is and which professional opportunities it offers. Our outreach programs provide resources and programming for K-12 and college-level groups to discover the exciting world of mineral resources.

https://minerals.arizona.edu/engagement

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