Emily Sarver

Research Interests

• Responsible development of mineral and energy resources
• Education of responsible resource engineers
• Monitoring, characterization and control of mine-generated environmental contaminants

Courses

• MINE 2504 Introduction to Mining and Minerals Engineering
• MINE 4644 Environmental Management for Mining and Geoenergy
• MINE 5114 Sustainable Development of Mineral and Energy Resources
• MINE 5944 Graduate Seminar

Selected funded research

• 2022-25: Advancing the understanding of respirable silica occurrence in coal mines, CDC/NIOSH, $461,112 
• 2021-22: Refining silica and other dust particle classification by optical light microscopy, Alpha Foundation, $154,000
• 2021-22: Exploration of Temporal Changes in Respirable Coal Mine Dust Characteristics, Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health, $174,405
• 2019-24: Respirable coal mine dust: mineral content sources, monitoring and control, and building capacity to protect miner health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Health and Human Services, $1,228,190

Professional affiliations

• Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), vice chair of the Education Sustainability Committee
• Society of Mining Professors (SOMP), co-chair of the Members Development Committee and member of Annual General Meeting organizing committee

Selected publications

• 2022: Keles, C., *Pokhrel, N., Sarver, E., "A study of respirable silica in underground coal mines: Sources. Minerals, 12: 1115. 
• 2022: *Jaramillo, L., Agioutanti, E., Keles, C., and Sarver, E., "Thermogravimetric Analysis of Respirable Coal Mine Dust for Source Apportionment," Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health.
• 2022: Cohen, R., Rose, C., Go, L., Zell-Baran, L., Almberg, K., Sarver, E., . . . Green, F., "Lung pathology and mineralogy prove that respirable crystalline silica is the major cause of severe pneumoconiosis in contemporary US coal miners," Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 
• 2022: *Gonzalez, J., Keles, C., Pokhrel, N., Jaramillo, L., and Sarver, E., "Respirable dust constituents and particle size: a case study in a thin-seam coal mine," Mining Metallurgy and Exploration, 39, 1007-1015.
• 2022: Keles, C., *Jaramillo, L., & Sarver, E., "Updating Characteristics of respirable dust in eight Appalachian coal mines: A dataset including particle size and mineralogy distributions, and metal and trace element mass concentrations” with expanded data to cover a total of 25 U.S. mines. Data in Brief, 42: 108125.
• 2022: *Gonzalez, J., Keles, C., & Sarver, E., "On the occurrence and persistence of coal-mineral microagglomerates in respirable coal mine dust," Mining Metallurgy and Exploration, 39, 271-282.
• 2022: *Pokhrel, N., *Agioutanti, E., Keles, C., Afrouz, S., & Sarver, E., "Comparison of respirable coal mine dust constituents estimated using FTIR, TGA, and SEM-EDX," Mining Metallurgy and Exploration, 39, 291-300.
• 2021: *Tabor, J., Sarver, E., & Saylor, J.R., "A Fog-and-Tube Scrubber for the Removal of Diesel Particulate Matter from Engine Exhaust," Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 21 (12): 210134.
• 2021: LaBranche, N., Keles, C., Sarver, E., Johnstone, K., & Cliff, D., "Characterization of Particulates from Australian Underground Coal Mines," Minerals. 11 (5):447.
• 2021: Sarver, E., Keleş, C., & Afrouz, S., "Particle size and mineralogy distributions in respirable dust samples from 25 U.S. underground coal mines," International Journal of Coal Geology, 247: 103851.
• 2021: *Santa, N., Keles, C., Saylor, J.R., & Sarver, E., "Demonstration of Optical Microscopy and Image Processing to Classify Respirable Coal Mine Dust Particles," Minerals.11(8):838.
• 2021: *Pokhrel, N., Keles, C., *Jaramillo, L., *Agioutanti, E., & Sarver, E., "Direct-on-Filter FTIR Spectroscopy to Estimate Calcite as A Proxy for Limestone ‘Rock Dust’ in Respirable Coal Mine Dust Samples," Minerals. 11(9):922.

Selected honors and awards

• 2021: Course selected as Case Study on Accelerating Education for the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities, United Nations-affiliated Sustainable Development Solutions Network
• 2021: Tim Shaw Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Society of Mining Professors
• 2018: Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering
•  2017: Research and Educational Excellence Award, Health and Safety Division, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME)
• 2017: Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech
• 2016: Young Engineer Award, Mineral Processing Division, SME
• 2016: Outstanding Researcher Award, Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science
• 2015: Teacher of the Year, Burkhart Mining Society, Virginia Tech
• 2004-2009: Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation 

Education

• 2010: Ph.D., civil and environmental engineering, Virginia Tech
• 2005: M.S., mining and minerals engineering, Virginia Tech
• 2004: B.S., mining and minerals engineering, Virginia Tech

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