Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert A. Wharton became the eighteenth president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology on July 1, 2008. President Wharton's leadership and scientific career spans several decades in academe, federal service, and the private sector.
Wharton received his Ph.D. (Botany) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and his B.A. (Botany) and M.A. (Biology) from Humboldt State University. He has attended both the Harvard Institute for Educational Management and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford Executive Program.
President Wharton served as a member of the Federal Government's Senior Executive Service as the Executive Officer for the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. Wharton has been a visiting senior scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; an executive vice president for the Institute of Management Studies in Reno, Nevada; and vice president for research, and research professor at the Desert Research Institute. Prior to joining the School of Mines, President Wharton served as provost and vice president for academic affairs, and chief research officer at Idaho State University. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club as well as a member of Sigma Xi.
Having participated in 11 expeditions to the Antarctic, Wharton is a recipient of the United States Antarctic Service Medal. He has served on the National Research Council's Polar Research Board. Wharton is currently advising the Secretary of Energy as an appointee to the National Coal Council. He is also a member of the Council on Competitiveness and serves as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Energy Forum. President Wharton also initiated and leads a national effort under the auspices of the APLU involving 21 U.S. universities focused on re-establishing a federal role in mining research and development.
President Wharton continues to champion the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's leadership role in developing the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, South Dakota. During his brief tenure, the university's research funding more than tripled to the highest amount in the history of the university and new graduate programs, including a M.S. in robotics and intelligent autonomous systems and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering were created. Wharton is currently leading the university's effort to establish a Ph.D. program in physics. He also initiated the Mines Medal Award in 2009, a national program, to honor engineers and scientists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the U.S.
Wharton is a recipient of the University and Community College System of Nevada's Outstanding Faculty Award, and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Community College League of California. He is a recipient of the Eagle of Merit Award for Career Excellence and the National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
