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Here are our featured presentations for 2012.

Copper Minerals of New Mexico
Presentation by Virgil Lueth

FRIDAY at 1:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Dr. Virgil W. Lueth has been Mineralogist/Economic Geologist and Curator of the Mineral Museum at the New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources since 1994. He received his B.S. in geology at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and graduate degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) from the University of Texas at El Paso. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (1997 – current), New Mexico Geological Society (1999-2002), New Mexico Geological Society Foundation, Friends of Mineralogy (2000-current), and adjunct curator at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (1994 – current). He has published over 50 articles in scientific journals, textbooks, and popular magazines, mainly in the fields of mineralogy, geochemistry, and economic geology. Dr. Lueth has also edited 10 award-winning guidebooks for the New Mexico Geological Society.

Arthur Lakes
Video

FRIDAY at 2:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

A video of the great Arthur Lakes, geologist, writer and fossil hunter. He unearthed Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus and Allosaurus fossils, among others.

Starting a Mineral Collection
Presentation by Peter J Modreski

SATURDAY at 1:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Dr. Peter J. Modreski has worked as a geochemist at the U. S. Geological Survey for over 25 years. Pete's work has included the study of mines, caves, volcanoes, and geology in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Poland, and Russia. He is the USGS' geologic resource specialist for gemstones, as well as abrasives, quartz, beryllium, cesium, and rubidium. Pete is a co-author of the book, Minerals of Colorado, published in 1997. Pete is presently responsible for public communication and educational outreach for the USGS.

Meet the Curator
Numerous museum curators

SATURDAY from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (location TBA)

Would you like to talk to the curators of the museums that are displaying at our Show? Now's your chance! The following museums plan on having their curator available today:

  • American Museum of Natural History
  • California Academy of Sciences
  • Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum
  • Cranbrook Institute of Science
  • Fersman Mineralogical Museum
  • Montana Tech Mineral Museum
  • Museums at Ghost Ranch
  • Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
  • Society of Mineral Museum Professionals
  • Sterling Hill Mining Museum
  • Univ. of Wollongong, Australia
  • University of Michigan

Butte Montana's Copper Minerals
Presentation by Pete Knudsen

SATURDAY at 2:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Dr. Knudsen has M.S. and Ph.D. in Mining Engneering from the University of Arizona and a B.S. in Geological Engineering from Montana Tech. He has taught at Montana Tech for 31 years and at the University of Arizona for four years. In addition to his academic experience, Dr. Knudsen has been employed by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, the Anaconda Copper Company, and was an officer in the U. S. Navy. Pete Knudsen was the co-author of "Butte Silver Bow County, Montana" in American Mineral Treasures and has an extensive collection of minerals from Butte.

Michigan's Keweenaw Underwater Copper Veins
Presentation by Robert Barron

SATURDAY at 3:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Bob Barron is currently the lab coordinator and instructor in the Department of Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences at Michigan Tech University. He has been a certified diver for 37 years and has been using his geology and mineral collecting skills to find copper, silver, agates and datolite along submerged basalt reefs in Lake Superior. His many significant underwater discoveries include the recovery of a 17 ton, Guinness world record copper boulder and a major copper crystal find called the Laker Pocket discovered in 2008. These and several other finds have been reported already in several issues of Rocks and Minerals magazine.

Colorful Copper Minerals of Arizona
Presentation by Les Presmyk

SATURDAY at 8:00 PM - Saturday night Special Event Lecture in the Palm Court of the Denver Merchandise Mart's Main Building

Les Presmyk is the Principal Mining Engineer for SRP, dealing with coal mines in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. He is an Arizona native and graduate of the University of Arizona. He has been President of the Mineralogical Society of Arizona and Chairman of the Arizona Mineral and Mining Museum Foundation (now the Flagg Mineral Foundation). He has explored and collected in a number of localities in Arizona, Missouri, and Mexico and provided engineering expertise at the San Francisco mine in Sonora, Mexico, the Brushy Creek mine in Missouri and the Red Cloud mine in Arizona. Les has written several articles and co-authored the recently published "Collecting Arizona".

Copper-bearing Minerals of Colorado
Presentation by Ed Raines

SUNDAY at 1:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Ed Raines is the Collections Manager at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. He has written numerous papers on the mining history, geology, and mineralogy of many Colorado mining districts, and frequently gives slide lectures on these topics. In 1997, he was recognized by the Clear Creek County Metal Mining Association for his work in promoting the mining industry. In 2002, Ed founded Geo-Historical Studies, a company specializing in consultation and special studies in Geology and Mining History. He has taught "Geology of the Front Range" a continuing education class, through the Boulder Valley School District, for over 15 years.

Meet the Curator
Numerous museum curators

SUNDAY from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (location TBA)

Would you like to talk to the curators of the museums that are displaying at our Show? Now's your chance! The following museums plan on having their curator available today:

  • A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum
  • Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum
  • California Sate Mining & Mineral Museum
  • Cincinnati Museum Center
  • Denver Museum of Nature and Science
  • Lizzardro Museum of Lapidary Arts
  • Mineralogisches Museum, University of Bonn
  • National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum
  • New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineralogical Resources
  • New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
  • Smithsonian
  • Tellus Science Museum
  • Univ. of Arizona Mineral Museum

The Ben Williams Collection - A lost trove from 19th century Bisbee, AZ
Presentation by Evan Jones

SUNDAY at 2:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

The Ben Williams collection - A lost trove from 19th century Bisbee, Arizona As superintendent of the Copper Queen Mining Company from its inception in 1880 until his retirement in 1899, Ben Williams built a fabulous mineral collection perhaps rivaled only by that of Professor James Douglas. In 1998 this previously unknown collection was discovered in California after having been packed in storage since 1938. In addition to the mineral collection were Mr. Williams' books, photos, artifacts and personal papers. Evan A. Jones has been collecting minerals since the 1970's and now collects minerals from Arizona exclusively. He is a 1985 graduate of Arizona State University with a B.S. degree in Geology. Evan has been a mineral dealer since 1986.

Collecting Arizona's Copper Minerals
Presentation by Les Presmyk

SUNDAY at 3:00 PM - In the Lecture Room

Les Presmyk is the Principal Mining Engineer for SRP, dealing with coal mines in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. He is an Arizona native and graduate of the University of Arizona. He has been President of the Mineralogical Society of Arizona and Chairman of the Arizona Mineral and Mining Museum Foundation (now the Flagg Mineral Foundation). He has explored and collected in a number of localities in Arizona, Missouri, and Mexico and provided engineering expertise at the San Francisco mine in Sonora, Mexico, the Brushy Creek mine in Missouri and the Red Cloud mine in Arizona. Les has written several articles and co-authored the recently published "Collecting Arizona".

Events for other years can be seen here:

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