The MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo, to take place next week in Salt Lake City, Utah, will conclude with its Signature Awards Event where more than 70 award recipients will be honoured.
Each year, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) presents these awards, with the recipients representing the highest levels of professionalism and expertise in the mining and minerals industry. Awards are given for both individual and group achievements.
The 2026 SME Awards Celebration will take place on Wednesday, February 25 from 5:30-8:00 pm inside the Salt Lake Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City. The event serves as a lively conclusion to the annual conference, is open to all attendees and is
included with MINEXCHANGE registration. After a multimedia awards presentation, attendees will enjoy an intimate reception with the recipients and their awards, providing a final networking opportunity with the industry’s best and brightest.
“I cannot imagine a better way to conclude MINEXCHANGE than by having an SME Awards Celebration,” Bill Hancock, 2025 SME President, said. “Recognising innovation and excellence through our awards program is core to our mission and a testament to the remarkable members making a difference across the world.”
Notable awards include:
- Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal, presented to Lawrence P. Radford;
- Mineral Economics Award, presented to Alan K. Stagg;
- Mineral Industry Education Award, presented to Navid Mojtabai;
- AIME Honorary Member Award, presented to S. Komar Kawatra and David L. Kanagy;
- Erskine Ramsay Medal, presented to Stephen C. Tadolini;
- Frank F. Aplan Award, presented to James E. Gebhardt;
- Hal Williams Hardinge Award, presented to Rajesh Raitani;
- Ivan B. Rahn Education Award, presented to Kramer D. Luxbacher;
- James Douglas Gold Medal, presented to Kaixi Jiang;
- John Fritz Medal, presented to Mau-Chung Frank Chang;
- Robert E. Murray Innovation Award, presented to FLS;
- Robert Earll McConnell Award, presented to Donald R. Taylor;
- Robert H. Richards Award, presented to Robert E. McIvor;
- Robert M. Dreyer Award, presented to Richard A. Leveille;
- William Lawrence Saunders Gold Medal, presented to Jami Girard Dwyer;
- Syd S. Peng and Felicia F. Peng Ground Control in Mining Award, presented to Dr. Michael Karmis;
- President’s Citation, presented to Sanja Zlatanic, Mary Korpi, and Kimberly Mills; and
- President’s Section Citation, presented to the WAAIME Peru Section and the Gila Valley, AZ SME Local Section.
International Mining is a media sponsor of the MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo. For more information regarding the 2026 SME Awards Celebration and a full list of recipients, visit smeannualconference.org/awards