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����Ӱ�� aims to make ����Ӱ�� a critical minerals hub

The University of ����Ӱ�� Fairbanks has a new research unit that aims to make ����Ӱ�� a global leader in research and development of critical minerals.

The , based at the ����Ӱ�� Geophysical Institute, brings together researchers and labs from across the university to help industry, ����Ӱ�� Native corporations and government agencies accelerate critical mineral discovery, characterization and extraction in the state.

The ACMC is led by Lee Ann Munk, geosciences research professor at the Geophysical Institute. 

Munk, who holds a doctorate in geological sciences, has more than two decades of critical minerals research experience in North and South America. She is known for her contributions to developing ore deposit models for lithium and innovations in exploration for copper. She is part of a ����Ӱ�� team of researchers investigating biomining of rare earth elements in Southeast ����Ӱ��.

“Critical minerals are the backbone of modern technology, and the world is racing to secure them,” Munk said. “����Ӱ�� has an abundance of these critical minerals and can be a key provider as the nation works to reduce reliance on foreign sources.”

The United States defines critical minerals as those that are essential to economic and national security, have a supply chain vulnerable to disruption and are vital for manufacturing key products and technologies. 

The U.S. Geological Survey list of 50 critical minerals includes several present in ����Ӱ��: antimony, cobalt, graphite, lithium, nickel, tin, tungsten and platinum. ����Ӱ�� also has abundant copper, which is critical to the transition to renewable energy.

“The science and engineering experts associated with the ����Ӱ�� Critical Minerals Collaborative have access to and can help industry advance the discovery, characterization and recovery of critical minerals, whether in ����Ӱ�� or anywhere else they can be found around the world,” she said.

Munk will talk about the new organization and a recent funding development at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the in Anchorage. The convention theme is “Critical mining for these critical times.”

The collaborative will bring together several university units and external entities, with the and leading the initial effort. State and federal agencies and other universities will be invited to participate.

The ����Ӱ�� Critical Minerals Collaborative offers numerous capabilities to assist with research from exploration to mineral recovery. These include remote sensing, geology, data science, hydrochemistry, mineralogy, mapping, geochronology, processing, engineering and more.

����Ӱ�� scientists have been busy with critical minerals research. Examples include detailed structural and geochronology studies of ����Ӱ�� ore systems, lithium brines research in the southwestern United States and South America and airborne hyperspectral imaging of ����Ӱ�� critical minerals systems.

The collaborative’s leadership consists of Munk; Deputy Director Steve Masterman; Lance Miller, vice president of natural resources for NANA, an ����Ӱ�� Native regional corporation; and ����Ӱ�� assistant professor Sean Regan, co-director of the ����Ӱ�� Geophysical Institute’s Geochronology Lab and the collaborative’s chief scientist.

Masterman joined the Geophysical Institute after retiring from a career as ����Ӱ��’s state geologist and working in the mining industry. He has served as president of the Association of American State Geologists and is a director of the ����Ӱ�� Miners Association.

“For ����Ӱ��ns, we are building the next generation of experts in critical minerals, ensuring economic opportunities for this state’s residents for years to come,” Masterman said.

Munk and Masterman in late September went to Namibia, Africa, for the conference, organized by the Society of Economic Geologists, the Geoscience Council of Namibia and the Geological Society of Namibia.

Munk said the goal was to introduce the ����Ӱ�� Critical Minerals Collaborative to an international minerals and mining audience. 

“We had an exhibit for three days and talked to professionals, researchers and students about opportunities to engage with the University of ����Ӱ�� Fairbanks, the ACMC and ����Ӱ��,” she said.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Lee Ann Munk, lamunk@alaska.edu 

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