NEWS RELEASE – November 19, 2020
Dr. Nikhil C. Trivedi receives prestigious Frank F. Aplan Award
The Mineral & Metallurgical 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 an honorary member of AIME and served as its president in 2016. He is an SME Fellow and was SME
president in 2010. He will accept the award during SME’s annual conference in 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.
SME. Inspiring mining professionals worldwide.
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For further details, see www.smenet.org