Every year, students, faculty and staff in the Mackay School of Earth Science and Engineering come together to celebrate the year’s achievements with awards and recognition. The Mackay School houses three academic departments and three public service units.
The annual banquet includes a meet and greet, plated dinner and presentation of awards. This year, two additional awards were announced from the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. Melissa Harmon (Mining Engineering, ’00) served as the Master of Ceremonies, and Mackay School director Annie Huhta (Executive MBA, ’18) provided opening and closing remarks. The 2024 John W. Mackay Banquet was sponsored by Nevada Gold Mines Operated by Barrick, the Mine Closure Conference and the American Exploration & Mining Association. Mackay awards are outlined below.
Student Awards
- Outstanding Undergraduate Students
- Stack Wright-Hemphill – Geography
- Audrey Topp – Geological Sciences and Engineering
- Madison Sandoval –Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
- Outstanding Graduate Students
- Jacqueline Dougherty – Geography
- Ellyn Huggins – Geological Sciences and Engineering
- Tebogo Letshwiti – Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
- Vernon E. Scheid Award – Gabriella Horvath
- Gordon C. Frisby Award – Alireza Kamran Pishhesari
- The Old Timer’s Watchman Award – Zohreh Iranmanesh
- Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Golden Hammer Award – Dominik R. Vlaha
- Nevada Seismological Laboratory Good Vibrations Award – Ashlynne Springer
Mackay Awards
- Chrissy Klenke – Friend of Mackay Award
- Russell Fields – Lifetime Achievement Award
- John Leland – Spirit of Mackay Award
Corporate Sponsor Awards
- The Redpath Group
- Freeport-McMoRan
- SSR Mining
- Nevada Gold Mines Operated by Barrick
- Mine Closure Conference
- Newmont
- Royal Gold, Inc.
- Kinross
- Mission Support and Test Services
- Ledcor
- Lithium Nevada
- Lhoist North America
- Kappes, Cassiday and Associates
