University of Arizona teams excel at SME MINEXCHANGE 2026
On the Rocks Consulting celebrates winning second place in the Metallic Student Design Competition at the 2026 SME MINEXCHANGE conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kray Luxbacher
University of Arizona mining engineering students earned top honors at SME MINEXCHANGE 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February. One team placed second in the International Metallic Student Design Competition and another reached the finals of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Student Design Competition.
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration's annual conference brings together students from leading mining programs worldwide to solve complex, real-world challenges and present solutions to industry professionals. The conference attracted more than 6,900 attendees from 46 countries.
The university’s Metallic team, On the Rocks Consulting, placed second with a Colombian gold mine design.
“We designed a complete mining operation while maximizing value and aligning with current industry standards,” said Marc Armenta, team lead. “We refined our resource models and financial decisions based on market trends.”
The students evaluated mineral processing, resource modeling and stakeholder considerations. Team members also included seniors Robyn Bufano, Tyler Bettencourt, Michael Moya, Brock Rossetti and Jack Kieley. School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources associate professor of practice Edward Wellman advised the team.
Sixteen teams entered the Metallic competition, with six advancing to the final round.
On the Rocks Consulting will showcase its award-winning project at the 2026 Craig M. Berge Design Day on May 5.
Tombstone Consulting, the second university team that competed, reached the final round of the NSSGA Student Design Competition.
“The project required us to build a mine plan from the ground up, from initial extraction through final recommendations,” said James Russell. “One of our most important decisions was to operate both an underground and surface mine at the same site to maximize value over the life of the operation.”
The University of Arizona’s NSSGA Team, Tombstone Consulting, presents a mine design in the final competition round.
Pricilia Mugwa
Russell, along with team members Esteban Garza, Dirk Patton, Koa Wiggins, Robbie Yordt and Alexandra Zadro, developed a pre-feasibility study examining environmental considerations, mine design and complete economic analysis. SMEMR assistant professor of practice Samuel Lolon advised the team.
Eighteen teams competed in the initial phase of the NSSGA competition, with six selected to present in Salt Lake City.
Students spent several weeks developing and refining their designs during the semester before presenting them at the conference.
Both teams presented their work to panels of industry experts, delivering comprehensive plans that addressed technical, economic and operational considerations.