Lacy Lecture hails ‘a different kind of mine’
South32 Hermosa Mine President Pat Risner shares vision for the future of mining at the 2025 W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture.
(From left) Kray Luxbacher (Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair of Mining and Geological Engineering), Pat Risner (president of South32’s Hermosa mine), David W. Hahn (Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering) and Lina Betancourt (South32’s head of communications) at the 2025 W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture.
Pricilia Mugwa
Pat Risner stood before a packed audience at the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography on Friday, Nov. 7, and shared a bold message: Mining can at once be clean, responsible and profitable.
“Sustainability is good business,” he said.
The president of South32 Hermosa explained this and other insights in his 2025 W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture, titled “Hermosa: Developing a Next-Generation, Different Kind of Mine.”
The annual W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture series – hosted by the School of Mining Engineering and Mineral resources – honors Willard C. “Bill” Lacy, the first head of the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering at the U of A.
Minerals with national purpose
With more than 30 years of experience in global operations and project development, Risner stressed how South32’s Hermosa mine is redefining responsible mining. South 32 is a global metals and mining company, headquartered in Perth, Australia.
Presently, Hermosa is the only advanced mining project in the United States that could produce two federally designated critical minerals important to advancements in energy storage – manganese and zinc – as well as silver and lead.
“Zinc and manganese are vital to building batteries and renewable energy systems,” Risner said. “Producing them responsibly here in Arizona helps strengthen our domestic supply chain and reduces reliance on foreign sources.”
The 750-acre southern Arizona mine leverages electric underground vehicles to cut emissions, water recycling to conserve local resources and real-time air quality sensors to protect workers and surrounding communities.
“Hermosa shows that we can produce essential minerals while protecting people, communities and the planet,” Risner said.
Partnerships advance a sustainable future
Hermosa’s commitment to sustainability also extends into education. South32 partners with universities such as the University of Arizona to train aspiring mining professionals – future employees who will blend technical expertise with environmental stewardship.
“The next generation of professionals will drive the future of this industry,” Risner said. “Mining today is about problem-solving and creativity as much as it is about resource development.”