The world adds an estimated 200 million tons of copper mine tailings every year — enough that a century of copper mining has generated roughly 17.5 billion tons of cumulative waste. University of Arizona
Education
Short courses, graduate certificates, and workforce development focused on tailings management.
Explore ProgramsResearch
Advancing safe and responsible tailings management through rigorous academic and applied research.
Learn About Our ResearchIndustry Partnership
Connecting industry with leading universities to address the most pressing challenges in mine waste.
Become a PartnerMeet Our Team
Faculty, researchers, and industry leaders working to advance tailings management.
Terry Braun
Center Director
Jean Kugel
Industry Advisory Board Chair
Kray Luxbacher
Technical Advisor
Research That Makes a Difference
The Tailings Center brings together world-class researchers from three leading universities to tackle the most critical challenges in mine waste management — from geotechnical stability and water management to closure planning and environmental protection.
Our work bridges academic rigor with real-world industry needs, producing research that directly informs safer tailings practices globally.
3
Partner universities
20+
Industry partners
100+
Tech Talks & courses delivered
Join the Tailings Center
Connect your organization with leading researchers and industry peers working to advance safe and responsible tailings management.