Aaron Noble awarded Charles T. Holland Professorship
Aaron Noble ’09, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’13, professor of mining and minerals engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been awarded the Charles T. Holland Professorship in Mining and Minerals Engineering by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The Charles T. Holland Professorship was established in 1976 in honor of the former head of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, who served from 1948 to 1961, to attract and retain exceptional faculty in the department.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2017, Noble is currently head of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and associate director of the Center for Advanced Separation Technologies. Like Holland, Noble started his faculty career at West Virginia University before joining Virginia Tech in 2017.
Noble’s work on rare earth and critical minerals feedstocks and extraction technologies has propelled efforts to identify and make use of domestic resources, which are essential to the defense, energy, and technology sectors. In this area, he has conducted 54 externally funded research projects, accumulating a personal share of over $15 million. He has over 50 peer reviewed journal publications and has delivered more than 130 professional presentations, including several invited and keynote talks. He is a top 10 global scholar in the rare earth elements discipline.
Noble is a named inventor on four issued U.S. patents and currently has four pending patent applications. Two of his patents have been licensed and commercially deployed with installations on five continents. His technologies address such key global challenges as energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the security of critical mineral supply chains, while remaining practical, scalable, and economically viable.
He has guided students at all levels, creating engaging classrooms and integrating his research into the learning experience. His teaching style emphasizes not only technical rigor but also professional development, ethics, and innovation. Many of his students have gone on to pursue impactful careers in academia, industry, and government, contributing to the evolving landscape of critical materials research and sustainable resource development. Through his career, he has received 10 teaching awards, including department, college, university, and external recognitions.
He is a steadfast champion of university-industry engagement and has advanced initiatives to strengthen programs, support faculty, and expand opportunities for students. Beyond the university, he has played active roles in professional societies and outreach, helping to connect academic expertise with industry and community needs.
Noble received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mining engineering from Virginia Tech. He is also a licensed professional engineer in Virginia.
