Rapid City - Dr. Robert A. Wharton, 60, President of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology died suddenly on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital. Dr. Robert A. Wharton became the eighteenth president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology on July 1, 2008. President Wharton's leadership and scientific career spans several decades in academe, federal service, and the private sector. President Wharton received his Ph.D. [Botany] from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and his B.A. [Botany] and M.A. [Biology] from Humboldt State University. He attended both the Harvard Institute of Educational Management and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Senior Executive Program. Wharton served as a member of the Federal Government's Senior Executive Service as the Executive Officer for the National Science Foundation's Officer of Polar Programs. In addition, President Wharton had been a visiting senior scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., an executive vice president for the Institute of Management Studies in Reno, Nevada, and a vice president for research and research professor at the Desert Research Institute. Prior to joining the School of Mines, President Wharton served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Idaho State University. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club as well as a member of Sigma Xi. Having participated in 11 expeditions to the Antarctic, Wharton is a recipient of the United States Antarctic Service Medal and has served on the National Research Council's Polar Research Board. Wharton was an appointee to the National Coal Council. He was also a member of the Council on Competitiveness and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Energy Forum. President Wharton also initiated and led a national effort coordinated by the APLU involving 20 U.S. universities focused on re-establishing a government role in mining research and development. President Wharton championed the university's leadership role in developing the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, South Dakota. During his tenure, the university's research funding more than tripled to the highest amount in the history of the university. A new master's degree in robotics and intelligent autonomous systems and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering were added; as well, Wharton was recently leading the university's effort to establish a Ph.D. program in physics. Wharton also initiated the Mines Medal Award in 2009, a national program, to honor engineers and scientists who demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the U.S. Dr. Wharton was a recipient of the University and Community College System of Nevada's Outstanding Faculty Award, and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Community College League of California. He was a recipient of the Eagle of Merit Award for Career Excellence and the National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He was also actively involved in the Rapid City area community as a board member of the Economic Development Partnership, Destination Rapid City, and the Chamber of Commerce, among others. An outdoor Memorial Tribute Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 24, at the Campus Quadrangle on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the President Wharton Scholarship at the SDSM&T Foundation, 306 East Saint Joseph Street, Suite 200, Rapid City, SD 57701, Boy Scouts of America Black Hills Area Council, or Defenders of Wildlife.