Nicole Smith

Dr. Nicole Smith serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Mining Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, with additional affiliations as Faculty Fellow at The Payne Institute for Public Policy, Affiliated Scholar at the Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub (University of Delaware), Affiliated Faculty in the Humanitarian Engineering Program, and Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (University of Queensland).

Her educational credentials include:

• PhD in Anthropology from University of Colorado Boulder
• Certificate in Development Studies from University of Colorado Boulder
• MA in Anthropology from Colorado State University
• BA in Anthropology (Minor in Biology) from University of Minnesota

Dr. Smith's research centers on artisanal and small-scale mining, livelihood diversification, extractive industry sustainability, and corporate social responsibility, with regional expertise in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Her work integrates anthropological perspectives with engineering approaches to address mercury pollution, health/safety in mining communities, gender dynamics, and indigenous rights through fieldwork in Tanzania, Peru, and the Guianas.

Analysis of her 2014-2019 publications reveals consistent focus on socio-technical challenges in mining: 64% examine Latin American contexts (particularly Peru), 27% address African communities (Tanzania), and 91% incorporate mixed-methods approaches combining engineering analysis with ethnographic fieldwork. Key thematic clusters include mercury mitigation (36%), community-industry relations (27%), and gender/livelihood dynamics (18%).

Dr. Smith leads NSF-funded research on Sustainable Communities & Gold Supply Chains and U.S. Department of State projects on technology training in Peruvian artisanal mining. She collaborates with Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (Peru) and University of Queensland on sustainable development indicators for extractive industries, directing interdisciplinary teams of engineers, anthropologists, and local stakeholders.

She directs the Resources and Communities research group within Mining Engineering, which conducts scientific investigations to create equitable ecosystems where humans, natural environments, and technology coexist beneficially. The group maintains active partnerships with governments, NGOs, and academic institutions across six countries, focusing on community-centered solutions for mineral and energy developments.