Mining and mineral engineering professor honored with industry education award

23 Nov 2009

The Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America recently awarded its 2009 Stephen McCann Memorial Award for Educational Excellence to Roe-Hoan Yoon of Virginia Tech’s department of mining and minerals engineering.

Yoon, the Nicholas T. Camicia Professor in the College of Engineering, was recognized for his international record of teaching and researching in mineral processing science and technologies. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and is the director of the Center for Advanced Separation Technologies, a consortium of five universities whose goal is to develop advanced technologies that can be used to produce clean solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels from domestic energy resources in an efficient and environmentally acceptable manner.

Yoon has garnered headlines during the past year for co-developing a dewatering technology that reduces the moisture content of ultrafine coal to less than 20 percent, transforming it to a salable product rather than being discarded.

The Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America established the award in 1986 to honor instructors, teachers or professors of mining engineering curricula who have made significant career impacts on educational services to the mining industry. Candidates for the award are judged on their contributions, achievements, and commitment to quality mining education.

Yoon is the fifth professor in Virginia Tech mining engineering department to have achieved this honor. Professors Greg Adel, current department head; Tom Novak, former department head; Mike Karmis and Gerald Luttrell all have received the honor. The award consists of an inscribed commemorative clock.