The role of the MMS Leadership Council is to advise the program directors and help guide the program and course curriculum in defining strategic objectives and provide a mechanism for communication and interaction to a broader community of stakeholders. Your annual contribution will help us align and enhance resources, fund critical research projects and scholarship funds, assemble critical partnerships and support the ongoing function of the program. The Leadership Council will be composed of members from government and civil society, industry executives, and strategic academic partners who will meet at an annual MMS Stakeholder Workshop.
As a Blue Hen myself, I could not be more excited about the launch of this program and its value as a resource to the jewelry industry and other sectors addressing similar issues. I look forward to serving as Honorary Co-Chair of this council and hope you will join me and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group in our enthusiastic support of the Minerals, Materials and Society program by supporting and serving on the MMS Leadership Council.
Photo credit: Dr. Laurent Cartier
Minerals, Materials and Society (MMS) is one of the first programs of its kind in the United States to take an interdisciplinary approach to linking science and policy around extractive supply chains and addressing timely issues facing all consumer industries of minerals and extractives. The council is chaired by Dr. Saleem H. Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor and Academic Director of the MMS.
To ensure the success of the program, an MMS Leadership Council is being built that will bring the viewpoints of stakeholders across industries into the process of developing pertinent curricula, identifying research gaps and opportunities, and supplying much needed financial support.
The members of the Council serve at the invitation of the Academic Director of MMS. Council member’s responsibilities include:
You can be a part of a timely, valuable endeavor that will build the skills needed for game-changing leadership roles in finding knowledge-based solutions to the sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenges of the global minerals and extractives industries. MMS Leadership Council members will receive recognition and link to your company web site on the Minerals, Materials and Society web site.
You can help empower communities impacted by the extractive industries by supporting the Minerals, Materials and Society program through our crowdfunding web page. Your support will supply much-needed scholarships for students from affected countries who could benefit the most from this program. No contribution is too big or too small.
Fundraising efforts to build an endowment to ensure the sustainability of the program are also well under way. Representatives from UD’s Development Department, Professor Ali and Ms. Syvrud have already engaged with multiple foundations and industry prospects, and a Leadership Council is being built that will bring the viewpoints of stakeholders across industries into the process of developing pertinent curricula, identifying research gaps and opportunities, and supplying much needed financial support.
If you would like to join the MMS Leadership Council, or to make a contribution to the the Minerals, Materials and Society program, please contact Dr. Saleem Ali at saleem@udel.edu (302-831-0871). All donations to the program are fully tax deductible.
“As CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, an organization whose mission is to educate and assist the US jewelry industry with legal and regulatory compliance, we welcome the University of Delaware’s new education, research and training program, Minerals, Materials and Society. This new educational platform will bring much-needed interdisciplinary education to the jewelry sector and will help companies and countries prepare for successful environmental and social audits and certifications.”– Tiffany Stevens, President and CEO, Jewelers Vigilance Committee
