At last night's International Mineral Processing Congress Awards Banquet in Maryland, USA, I was delighted to hear that Prof. Tim Napier-Munn was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the International Mineral Processing Council, but I was disappointed that he was unable to attend the Congress to receive it.
I have known Tim for 37 years and regard him as one of the most outstanding members of the mineral processing fraternity. He was the first person who I interviewed for the MEI Blog back in 2014. When Elsevier asked me for a 7th edition of my book Mineral Processing Technology it was Tim who I turned to as the first co-editor in the series. The book was successful and was also translated into a Chinese edition.
His own book Statistical Methods for Mineral Engineers, based on his statistics course which he has presented around the world, has become a standard reference for mineral processing researchers and he is globally recognised as probably the leading exponent in the area of statistical analysis of mineral processing. Another of his many scholarly contributions was his editorship of the JKMRC “Blue Book” on comminution in 1996.
There can be few people in the global minerals processing community who have made more significant contributions to further our understanding of the technology of minerals processing than Tim, across a career spanning almost 50 years, and for the impact such outputs have had on industrial practice.
Much of his career has been spent in senior positions at the eminent Julius Kuttschnitt Minerals Research Centre (JKMRC) at the University of Queensland. Apart from his seminal contributions in processing technologies he has made noteworthy contributions to the study and modelling of dense-medium hydrocyclones. His PhD on this topic was undertaken at Imperial College London in 1984, but his interest continues, and he has published numerous highly cited papers on the analysis and modelling of these and other hydrocyclones. He has also made major contributions in areas such as comminution, classification and flotation and he is arguably best known for his contributions in the general area of modelling and simulation of mineral processes.
Perhaps his most significant service to the industry has been through his Directorship of the JKMRC and JKTech. He has played a major role in these organisations, which under his leadership have produced many outstanding graduates who are today playing major leadership roles on many continents.
Professor Tim Napier-Munn’s many other achievements include the award of numerous prestigious honours from the IOM3 and AusIMM and he is without doubt a worthy recipient of the IMPC Distinguished Service Award.
.jpg)
Congratulations Tim, cannot think of a more deserving winner! Your years of dedication to teaching the world about statistics have seen generations of people become better metallurgists.
ReplyDeleteElizaveta Forbes, JKMRC, Australia (via LinkedIn)
Congrats Tim. Always rigorous with the art & science of mineral processing, & your passion for teaching (the industry) even during your hectic days as director of the JK is exemplary.
ReplyDeleteDear Barry, we still fondly remember you teaching us the same book at the Indian School of Mines (now IIT, Dhanbad) while Prof Rao was HOD Minerals Engg. Your contribution to the industry is immense. So good to see you at the IMPC.
Barun Gorain, Managing Director, Canada (via LinkedIn)
Good to see you too, Barun. I still remember the cricket match at Maithon!
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for what I have learnt from Tim and all his advices throughout my PhD, like many others. Congratulations
ReplyDeletePia Lois-Morales, Chile (via LinkedIn)
Congratulations Tim. Indeed a well deserved award. Thanks for your continued support of our sector in particular
ReplyDeleteMohsen Yahyaei, University of Queensland, Australia (via LinkedIn)
Congratulations Prof. Tim Napier-Munn - thank you for generosity with your insights and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Eves, Ireland (via LinkedIn)
Congratulations, Professor Tim Napier-Munn, on receiving the IMPC Distinguished Service Award! Your role as a co-editor for the 7th edition of Mineral Processing Technology has really made a difference in our field. Your dedication and expertise not only enhance the academic landscape but also inspire many of us, including myself, in our academic and professional journeys. Thanks to both of you for all your invaluable contributions to mining and mineral processing!
ReplyDeleteDarius G Wonyen, ArcelorMittal, Canada (via LinkedIn)
Congrats Tim 🎉 Well deserved. I have learnt a lot from both giants of Mineral Processing!
ReplyDeleteAlex Luyima, Missouri S&T, USA (via LinkedIn)
I was fortunate to work for Tim at the start of my mineral processing career and I'm pleased to say that I learnt a lot from him! Congrats TJNM!
ReplyDeleteTom Bookless, UK (via LinkedIn)
Thanks Tim, thanks for you steadfast belief in the use of statistics in mineral processing. You have given me, my colleagues and the mineral processing community an invaluable tool to use in laboratory, pilot plant and plant test work. The IMPC Distinguished Service Award thoroughly well deserved.
ReplyDeleteChris Greet, Australia (via LinkedIn)
Thanks for sharing the wonderful news, Barry!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Tim! You have helped us uncover the truth hidden in the noisy metallurgical data.
Rajiv Chandramohan, Ausenco. Canada (via LinkedIn)
Congratulations Tim for this splendid award.
ReplyDeleteJohn Ralston, Melbourne, Australia (via LinkedIn)
Thanks Barry for your very kind comments. As you say we have known each other a long time and it has been a real pleasure and privilege for me. Of course what you didn't say was that you won this award in 2014 for your many extraordinary contributions to the profession of mineral engineering, so I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants.
ReplyDeleteI was astonished and humbled when Cyril O'Connor told me I had won the award and I thank him and his co-supporters for nominating me, and the IMPC for making the award; a real thrill. Being recognised by your peers is as good as it gets. And thanks to all those who have added their congratulations on Barry's Blog and the associated LinkedIn site, too many to mention individually here so apologies for that, but the names brought back some great memories for me. Of course no man is an island, so this award also reflects the contributions of the many wonderful people it has been my privilege to work with over the years, especially my friends at the JK and JKTech, past and present. Thanks to all of you. And if you can still remember the formula for the standard deviation then I feel my task is done!
See also many more comments on LinkedIn
ReplyDeleteHeartiest congratulations to Dr Tim…Feeling very happy that our generation and I had the opportunity to have and read the books by such eminent laureates a few in the area of Mineral Processing apart from Dr Lynch, Dr Rao , Dr Gaudin and Dr Barry to name a few …..
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to the greats of Mineral Processing apart….
Congratulations Tim Napier-Munn. I have fond memories of yourself and the JKMRC team providing support for tracer trials in the dense media drum circuit at the BHPIO Newman bene plant when I was a graduate (some 40 years ago).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I still have a copy of the 3rd edition of Mineral Processing Technology on my bookshelf at home.
Great post Barry.
Andrew Curtis, Fluor Corporation, Australia (via LinkedIn)