Dr. Nikhil C. Trivedi receives prestigious Frank F. Aplan Award
The Mineral Processing Division and the Coal & Energy Division Frank F. Aplan Award Committee have selected Nikhil Trivedi, long-time member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), as the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Frank F. Aplan Award. The award recognizes engineering or scientific contributions that further the understanding of the technology of coal and/or mineral engineering. The award was established by AIME in 1989 as a tribute to Frank F. Aplan for his lifelong productive career in coal and mineral processing research and education. Dr. Aplan was the initial award recipient and recently passed away at the age of 97.
When asked what his first thought was when learning that he had been awarded the Frank F. Aplan Award, Trivedi replied, “As a student at Mackay School of Mines and then at the University of Minnesota, I had been studying the most outstanding research papers coming out of Dr. Aplan’s group at Penn State. To receive an award named after Frank Aplan is a truly humbling experience. Just last week, I heard that Dr. Aplan passed away. I am doubly emotional to have received this honor while he was still in our midst.”
Trivedi has spent his professional career developing industrial mineral products for use in the paper, polymers and building products industries. He served on the Research Advisory Committee of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at Georgia Tech University. He helped establish the Brussels-based Industrial Minerals Association of Europe and served on its board of directors for ten years.
Trivedi is currently an AIME trustee, an honorary member of AIME and served as its president in 2016. He is an SME Fellow, a trustee of the SME Foundation and was SME president in 2010. He will accept the award during SME’s annual conference March, 2021.
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) brings together the mining and mineral industry’s brightest and most dedicated professionals. Over 13,000 global members advance their careers with the world-class technical resources, educational programs, networking opportunities and professional development tools from SME. Our members are focused on sharing best practices for safety, environmental stewardship and moving mining forward
