This is a past event.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Wycliff Oduor, Master's Student, Environmental Engineering Science, Michigan Tech
This presentation provides an overview of Wycliff's environmental engineering internship at Coeur Mining’s Kensington Mine in Southeast Alaska. This mine, with an operational footprint of 240 hectares, is an environmentally friendly mine that promotes sustainable mining practices. The discussion will focus on key environmental concerns such as Tailings management, Biodiversity Conservation, Water Quality Monitoring, and Waste Management. He will highlight his role in ensuring strict adherence to environmental regulations while overseeing the mine's water treatment systems to safeguard both environmental quality and operational efficiency.

Wycliff actively participated in the Fuel Bay Improvement Project, intending to improve safety and environmental hazards through improvements in critical infrastructure. This included the construction of a canopy and the installation of a track-out system that would reduce sediment contamination, minimizing safety risks, and make a great contribution to the overall environmental and safety goals at the site.

Wycliff learned about regulatory compliance, waste management, environmental surveys and how to properly plan such projects. Even while he was practicing theory lessons, Wycliff learned how to consult the local community, and how to consult with the relevant authorities. This experience made Wycliff appreciate the importance of cooperation for the good of the company, as well as the need for constant innovation for the environment and safety in the mining sector.
Bio:

Wycliff Oduor, born in Kenya, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management from the University of Embu. He began his career at Vivo Energy Kenya, where he was responsible for the distribution of denatured ethanol for heating purposes. While working at Vivo, Wycliff actively took part in the community projects dealing with sanitation and water management. The projects demonstrated some critical lapses that exist in the systems for water distribution and waste collection, these are what influenced him to pursue further education in these areas.

Motivated by this interest, Wycliff joined the master's program in Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University. This degree program provided him with hands-on skills in water resource management, sustainability of the environment, and waste treatment, thus providing Wycliff with the skills and knowledge needed to solve those problems he had encountered in the field.