When we talk about the future of an industry, people like Andy Mular stand out: Educators who pushed their students and inspired them with their passion. Four years after his passing, Andy’s impact lives on through the pioneering students championed by the Andy Mular Award.
In the late 1960s, Andy Mular was probably the first person to use time-share mainframe computing to solve mineral processing problems. Time-shares made these enormous and costly machines accessible to academics and engineers by allowing them to share resources and split the costs.
When an IT colleague heard about what he was using, he wanted to try it out. Andy, being extremely generous, lent him the use of his access. Later, the time-share outlet called to ask Andy what he was doing to their computer. As it turned out, his colleague had been exploring the computer’s architecture and software, later using this to help develop his own time-share.
Even in the early days of his career, this story tells us a few important things about Andy: He was an innovator, he was keen to collaborate with others outside of his field, and he was always open to sharing resources.
“He really drove and pioneered in the mineral processing industry,” says Mike Mular, Andy’s son. “The things that he worked on are still relevant today, such as process control, statistical data reconciliation and experimental design. That foundation is still as relevant today as it was 50 to 60 years ago.”
When he later became an instructor at UBC, Andy knew that his students needed exposure to real-world examples. Fortunately, he had developed many solid connections with industry professionals through his years of organizing technical workshops and technology transfer seminars. This meant he could provide his students with real commercial plant data, allowing them to learn from its complexity and inherent flaws.
Andy also identified a need for the industry to delve deeper into their processes and to share information on common challenges. Doug Bartlett, a friend and colleague of Andy’s, shared an example related to testing, sizing and selection of equipment types for liquid/solid separation. Typically, this is done by individual companies working with limited equipment vendors. Andy‘s approach was to organize a week-long workshop to bring together industry operators and a wide range of vendors to share and examine best practices in equipment specification.
Andy was known for this kind of out-of-the-box collaboration and persistent hard work. He didn’t shy away from talking to engineers outside of mining and learning from other industries. That’s something Dex Feliciano, the first recipient of the Andy Mular Award, and Andy have in common.
Dex is a recent UBC graduate who now works at a junior mining company. He believes that mining needs the innovation of outside voices. And it needs to recruit new talent.
“We always say we don’t have enough mining engineers, but that’s not all you need to run a mine,” says Dex. “You need people who are specialists in water stewardship. You need people who are specialists in logistics. By opening up that sort of treasure trove of talent, and pulling those people into mining, we will help the industry progress forward.”
Dex’s passion for mining grew out of his dedication to environmentalism. For a lot of people who knew him growing up, it was a surprise that he took to mining. But he sees how mining is a space where he can make a difference. He hopes others can see this too, and choose more environmentally responsible methods.
He’s looking to make some big changes in the industry, and that determination came in part from receiving the Andy Mular Award.
“Getting this sort of validation... You can’t put a value on the type of confidence that gives you,” says Dex.
The Andy Mular Award helped Dex fund his studies, but its importance goes far beyond that. Awards like this inspire students to reach for excellence and keep them motivated when facing challenges.
For Dex, that means holding true to his values as an environmentalist and letting that guide the choices he makes in his career. To push for excellence means fighting for what you believe in, even when you’re just beginning to earn your voice as the new kid in the industry. It requires a lot of bravery, which he hopes other students will embrace as well.
“Be brave,” says Dex. “Know that what you’re doing is a noble sort of cause and be able to fight back on people, not just outside of mining, but within mining.”
It’s fitting that Andy’s name continues to carry forward this spirit of innovation. He was the kind of person who never settled. Who chose to boldly push boundaries as a mineral processing engineer and as an educator.
“The impact someone like this has is that they pass their outlook on to their students, who then embody that and pass it on to others, so his legacy continues,” says Doug.
Through this award, Andy’s courage to challenge the status quo continues to inspire the next generation of mining professionals. It started with Dex in 2022 and continues every year to motivate mining students who are eager to step up and change the industry.
Be a part of Andy’s lasting imprint on mining engineering education and help bring new talented students to the industry by supporting the Andy Mular Award.
Visit the awards page here to donate and read notes and memories from Andy’s students and colleagues.
