When Lexi Russell arrived at Virginia Tech as an undergrad, mining engineering and graduate school were the furthest things from her mind. “I had always enjoyed chemistry and was thinking about a chemical engineering degree,” shared the Woodbridge, Virginia, native.

Having eventually settled on mining engineering, because of an interest in mineral processing, she met during the fall of her junior year with a class instructor, Dr. Jerry Luttrell, to learn more. “He immediately asked me if I was interested in research and graduate school, to which I said no,” recalled Russell. “But he said, ‘well I’m going to tell you about it anyway.’”

Fast forward three years: not only do we find Lexi Russell wrapping up her graduate work for an M.S. in Mining Engineering as the department’s New Horizon Graduate Scholar, but her research focus has brought her full circle to her earlier interests in chemistry.

Russell in early stages of research in fall 2019

A New Horizon Graduate Scholar

The New Horizon Graduate Scholars program, administered by the College of Engineering Dean’s Office, supports and enhances diversity among the college’s graduate students. Its community offers a collaborative research network of engineering graduate students who are provided resources and opportunities to strengthen their academic career while at Virginia Tech and into the future.

Some of the program’s services include mentoring, writing and reading groups, professional seminars, and social events. “The writing group has been by far the most beneficial part of the program,” said Russell, “since they provide a time and place where I feel accountable to myself and my peers to work for several hours.”

According to Russell, diving into the reading and writing required of a grad student was one of the hardest transitions from being an undergrad. “I’ve seen a lot of students struggle towards the end of graduate studies due to not having enough time for writing the thesis or dissertation.”

In addition to the writing workshops, New Horizon Graduate Scholars have the opportunity to socialize. “Grad school can get a bit lonely, especially after all your undergraduate friends have moved on,” said Russell. “I’ve made a ton of interdisciplinary friendships that have given me second opinions on my research where I’m not an expert, and I think the value of this will continue to grow down the road.”

Research

Working with department associate professor Dr. Aaron Noble, Russell’s graduate research focuses on the identification and characterization of rare earth elements contained in waste coal. “I’m using sequential chemical extraction to determine whether REEs are present,” said Russell.

Her work will contribute to broader research efforts on recovering rare earths from coal waste and offers a number of positive societal impacts. “This project is basically finding ways to reduce the overall waste impact of coal processing and refuse,” noted Russell, “while also developing a potential new source for rare earth elements in that waste.”

Being a graduate researcher hasn’t been without its challenges, explains Russell: “sometimes I feel like I’m pretending to be a chemical engineer and second guess my own expertise. I’ve invested a lot of hours trying to learn more.”

Her instructors and advisors recognized her early interest in chemical engineering and allowed Russell to lead specific aspects of the project.  “The experimental design used in my work is based on chemical engineering methods, so I actually went full circle from my initial desire to work in that field,” said Russell.

Looking Ahead

With graduation on the horizon, Russell feels she has a better sense of her strengths and what she would like to pursue. “I really enjoy research and could see myself doing R&D as a process engineer. I love having challenging problems and finding answers.”

But in the end, having ownership and direct control over her work and seeing the ultimate results of her research are perhaps one of Russell’s greatest successes. “It’s  satisfying to know that this degree will be the result of my of own work and dedication. It truly brings me joy and the feeling of accomplishment.”