Lacy Lecture Series
2026 W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture
Friday, October 23, 2026 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Mark Schaeffer
Vice President for Strategy
Komatsu Mining Technology Solutions Division
"Four Kilobytes and a Copper Mine: How a Computer Nerd Built a Career in Mining"
School of Music, Holsclaw Hall (1017 N. Olive Road)
Contact: Denise Sandoval
Registration required.
Join the School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources for its annual W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture. Mark Schaeffer, vice president for strategy at Komatsu's Mining Technology Solutions Division, presents "Four Kilobytes and a Copper Mine: How a Computer Nerd Built a Career in Mining."
Biosketch: Mark served as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy before joining Varco International, where he managed software and controls engineering for robotic drilling systems. He spent 15 years at Joy Mining/Joy Global in progressive leadership roles spanning engineering, product management, business development and operations, with expatriate assignments in the United Kingdom and China.
He currently serves as vice president of strategy for Komatsu's Mining Technology Solutions Division, overseeing product strategy, partnerships and new product development.
Mark holds a BS in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Aston University in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is based in Tucson.
The W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture Series
Willard C. "Bill" Lacy
The annual W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture is a tribute to Willard C. "Bill" Lacy, the first head of the combined Department of Mining and Geological Engineering at the University of Arizona.
Speakers are chosen for their prominence in, and outstanding contributions to, the mining industry. In their talks, they share personal experiences, examine case studies and offer best practices for the modern mining engineer.
About W.C. Lacy
Willard C. "Bill" Lacy was born in 1916 to parents home on furlough from their posting as educational missionaries in China.
Lacy received an undergraduate degree in chemistry from DePauw University and an MS from the University of Illinois, where he met his wife, Jo. When his PhD program at Harvard was interrupted by World War II, he took a job with Titanium Alloy Manufacturing Co. to help seek materials critical to the war effort and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After finishing his degree, he went to work for Cerro de Pasco Copper Co. in Peru. He rose to the position of chief geologist in 1953.
Lacy returned to the U.S. in 1955 and was appointed full professor of geology at the University of Arizona. When John Forrester became dean of the College of Mines in 1956, Lacy was asked to establish and head the combined Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.
Lacy defined requirements for undergraduate programs in mining engineering and geological engineering, had the programs accredited by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development, and recruited students. He also established MS and PhD programs in both disciplines and prioritized hiring top professors, including John Abel, Bill Peters and John Sumner.
Students characterized Bill Lacy's teaching technique as challenging them with unsolvable problems while providing a framework for analysis – always with a focus on understanding the big picture of mining.
The UA Department of Mining and Geological Engineering is pleased to further his philosophy and carry out his legacy with the annual Lacy Lecture Series.
Previous Lecturers
- 2025: Pat Risner - president of South32 Hermosa
- 2024: Timothy R. Snider - chairman and co-founder of Cupric Canyon Capital LP/GP
- 2023: Barbara Filas - 1978 UA Mining Engineering Graduate and Independent Consultant
- 2022: Mark Chalmers - Chief Executive Officer of Energy Fuels Resources Corporation
- 2021: Richard Adkerson – Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Freeport-McMoRan
- 2019: Jean Savage – Vice President of Surface Mining and Technology at Caterpillar
- 2018: Michelle Ash – Chief Innovation Officer, Barrick Gold Corp.
- 2017: Gary Goldberg – President and CEO, Newmont Mining Corp.
- 2016: Lukas H. Lundin – Principal, Lundin Group of Companies
- 2015: William Wilkinson – Vice President of Exploration in Africa, Freeport-McMoRan
- 2014: Charles Jeannes – President and CEO, GoldCorp
- 2013: Douglas B. Silver – Board Chair, Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources
- 2012: Ross R. Bhappu – Chair, Molycorp Inc., and Partner, Resource Capital Funds
- 2011: J. David Lowell – President and CEO, CIC Resources Inc.
- 2010: Gregory H. Boyce – Chairman and CEO, Peabody Energy
- 2009: Geoff Loudin – Chairman, Nautilus Minerals
- 2008: James Baker – Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, Newmont Mining Corp.
- 2007: James R. Moffett – Chairman, Freeport-McMoRan
- 2006: Leigh Clifford – CEO, Rio Tinto
Distinguished Alumni Lectures
Prior to 2006, the department offered a distinguished alumni lecture series:
- 2005: "The Future of Coal and Clean Energy Technology"
Gregory H. Boyce – CEO, Peabody Energy - 2004: "The Copper Business"
Dennis M. Bartlett – Senior Vice President of Development, Phelps Dodge - 2003: "Sustainable Development and the Gold Business"
Jack E. Thompson Jr. – CEO, Homestake Mining - 2002: "The Iron and Steel Business"
Thomas J. O'Neil – President and Chief Operating Officer, Cleveland-Cliffs Mining