Nucor Donates Largest Corporate Gift in University History to South Dakota Mines for New Building

April 21, 2022
Nucor Donates Largest Corporate Gift in University History to South Dakota Mines for New Building
The Nucor Mineral Industries Building on the Mines campus will feature state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories for earth sciences and engineering.

Nucor Corporation has provided South Dakota Mines with the largest corporate gift in university history, totaling $5 million, to help fund a new mineral industries building on campus.

Planning and survey work for the Nucor Mineral Industries Building at South Dakota Mines is already underway. The new, state-of-the-art building will advance the future of science, engineering, and technology while increasing environmental stewardship and catalyzing economic development in the region.

Nucor is the largest recycler and domestic steel producer in North America with the broadest and most diversified offerings in the U.S. market. Nucor employs almost 30,000 teammates at 25 steel mills and more than 300 facilities across North America.

“Generations of students will benefit from Nucor's investment in the future of South Dakota Mines,” says President Jim Rankin, Ph.D. “This donation is not only good for our institution, but it also has a big impact on the state of South Dakota, and it will benefit future scientists and engineers across the entire nation.”

The modern research spaces and classrooms in the Nucor Mineral Industries Building will enable new discoveries, spur creation of new high-tech companies and help attract new employers to the area while educating the next generation of innovators. The building will house the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, the Department of Mining Engineering and Management and the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering. 

“Partnerships with educational institutions like South Dakota Mines are vital to the industry and to Nucor. It is very important that we support the next generation of metallurgists, engineers, and computer scientists,” said Dan Krug, VP/GM of talent and technology. “Nucor has hired many skilled teammates from South Dakota Mines that have gone on to do wonderful things within Nucor. We are excited to be a part of this transformational space”

This major gift is not a first for Nucor. The company has been a university partner for decades, consistently giving between $20,000-$40,000 per year in support of Mines students and faculty, which includes the Nucor Endowed Professorship. In addition, Nucor has provided funding for a new student study area and is one of the top corporate sponsors of university athletics, including funding for athletics scholarships.

Nucor is also a top recruiter of Mines graduates. The company has hired 64 graduates in the last 15 years and has offered valuable internships or co-ops to 81 students since 2013.

This gift is a major fundraising milestone in the ongoing effort to raise $34 million for the Nucor Mineral Industries Building at South Dakota Mines. The State of South Dakota has committed $19 million, and the university has set aside $3 million toward the larger goal.