Major: Mining Engineering
Hometown: Maryland
Expected Graduation: 2027
LinkedIn Profile
Fuad Deen, a senior majoring in mining engineering, is interning at University Park with Barbara Arnold. This summer, he has been a fixture at the Fletcher L. Byrom Earth and Mineral Sciences Library, where he collates research on magnetic elements and critical minerals, as well as their processing. Deen’s goal is to utilize the research to design presentations, guidance, and safety resources for workers in the mining and mineral processing industries.
According to Deen, the internship has given him a better understanding of critical minerals, exposure pathways, and how mining can affect people’s health. As a first-generation college student, Deen appreciated getting a head start on his career through an undergraduate research experience, which has given him the confidence to make the mining industry safer, smarter, and more responsible in his future role.
What made you choose mining engineering as your area of study?
Coming from Sierra Leone, I saw firsthand how minerals are so important to the modern world.
I saw how resources like diamonds, cobalt, and copper have caused so much conflict in Africa, and I wanted to understand why. I grew up just loving history, science, and math in school, and after learning more about my culture and history, I also came to appreciate minerals and became more curious about learning how mining can be done in a safer, more responsible way that helps communities rather than harms them.
Despite my interest, I actually started in civil engineering for the first two to three years, but decided to pivot to mining because I wanted to make a positive impact. With a degree in mining engineering, I can imagine returning to my country in ten or twenty years and making a difference.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to help ensure mining is conducted in a way that protects workers, communities, and the environment. EME is helping me get closer to this goal through strong coursework, hands-on labs, research, and a learning environment that pushes me to think deeper.
EME has also shown me that mining is not only about extracting resources, but also about supporting essential parts of life, such as medicine, defense, transportation, energy, and infrastructure.
Research
My research focuses on critical minerals used in magnets, which are then used in many technologies, and the possible health effects associated with mining and processing them. I am looking at how workers can be exposed to these minerals, especially through dust, and why health and safety matters in this part of mining.
My research can help raise awareness of the health and safety risks associated with critical minerals, especially as demand for magnets in energy, defense, transportation, and technology grows. This can also connect to Pennsylvania by supporting safer mining education, worker training, and responsible mineral development.
Methods
My methods include reviewing research articles, government sources, and project reports to understand the minerals, their uses, exposure pathways, and health risks. I am also organizing the information into clear categories so it can be used for training and future presentations.
Understanding the research requires a lot of technical skills, but it also requires a lot of focus and discipline to read through everything I need to. Understanding myself, developing a routine where I read for a while, maybe for thirty minutes, and then build Legos for like five minutes, or take a walk, has been a big help.
Advice
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in college so far?
You must advocate for yourself and not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I have also learned to respect the journey it takes to get where you are going, even when the path is not perfect.
Fun Fact: My favorite food to cook is rice and stew.