Horst Wagner (mining scientist)

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Horst Wagner (* 24. May 1939 in Salzburg ) is an Austrian Montan scientist and emeritus professors . After 25 years in South Africa , he became professor of mining science, mining technology and mining economics at the Montanuniversität Leoben in 1994 and retired in 2007.

life and career

Horst Wagner was born on May 24, 1939 in Salzburg, where he grew up and attended school. After graduating from the federal high school in 1957 and completing extended military service from 1957 to 1958, Wagner began training as a teacher in the Mitterberg copper mine in 1959 . In the same year he began studying mining and mining at the Leoben University of Mining and Mining and graduated in 1963 with a degree in engineering . Subsequently, between 1964 and 1968, he worked as an assistant at the Institute for Mining Science, Mining Technology and Mining Management at the Montanist University in Leoben, doing research in the field of weather management, mechanical rock crushing and rock mechanics. Immediately after his doctorate as a Dr.mont. in 1968 he moved to South Africa in 1969 , where he worked for the South African Chamber of Mines for the next 25 years . During this time, Wagner held various positions. From 1969 to 1972 he was Senior Research Officer at the Mining Research Laboratory, from 1972 to 1975 he was Chief of Rock Mechanics Division there and from 1975 to 1977 Assistant Director. In 1977 he was promoted to Director of the Mining Operations Laboratory and held this position until 1984, when he was appointed Deputy Director General of the Research Organization by the Chamber of Mines. In this position he was active until 1986 and was then Director General responsible for nine research laboratories with around 650 employees until 1988. In 1988, the Chamber of Mines appointed him Senior General Manager Operations, taking responsibility for research, technology, mining safety and the environment, accident insurance, gold refining and uranium processing and marketing. Wagner held this position until his return to Austria in 1994.

In addition, he also held numerous other offices during his time in South Africa. He was from 1977 to 1988 chairman of the South African Society for Rock Mechanics and 1983-1987 Vice President for Africa of the International Society for rock Mechanics (ISRM; dt. International Society for Rock Mechanics ). In 1984 he became Vice President of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and was promoted to President of the institute in 1986 and held this position until 1987. Another year later he was awarded the Gold Medal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. At that time Wagner was already a member of the National Science Advisory Council of the Republic of South Africa (1986–1988) and from 1986 to 1994 honorary professor for mining science at the Witwatersrand University . In 1990 he became an Honorary Life Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and received its Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award in 1994 . In 1992 Wagner was elected a corresponding member (abroad) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences ; after his return in 1994 his membership was converted to a corresponding member (in Germany). Subsequently, Wagner taught as a professor for mining science, mining technology and mining economics at the Montanuniversität Leoben and also took over the chairmanship of the study commission for mining.

In 1999 he was awarded the Cross of Honor for Science and Art 1st Class for his services ; a year later he became a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Between 1995 and 2001 he was chairman of the university college of the Montanuniversität Leoben and from 2002 to 2006 a member of its senate. When mining Österreichs he has operated since 1995 as Chairman of the Executive Committee, was from 1995 to 1999 Vice President from 1999 to 2003, President from 2003 to 2008. Vice President of BVÖ. From 2000 to 2006 he was also Vice-President of the International Organizing Committee of the World Mining Congress and in 2002 was elected chairman of the Commission for Fundamentals of Mineral Resource Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences; a position he held until 2012. Since 2004, Wagner has also been Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Vöest-Alpine-Erzberg-Privatstiftung and of the Supervisory Board of Vöest-Alpine-Erzberg GmbH. In 2007, Wagner retired ; since then he has been a lecturer for a number of mining science lectures and continues to work on research projects at the chair for mining science, mining technology and mining economics at the Montan University Leoben.

In addition, Wagner is a court sworn expert for mining and rock mechanics, expert and appraiser for authorities in the field of mining technology, mining safety, stability of mine workings and embankments, environmental aspects of raw material extraction and raw material policy, as well as raw material management. He is also a reviewer for the German Science Council (WR) and reviewer for the Australian Research Council (ARC). In 1998 he was also head of rescue operations for the miners trapped in the Lassing mine disaster .

Further awards and honors that Wagner received throughout his life are the Lifetime Award of the South African Society for Mountain Mechanics (2003), the honorary badge of the “Stone and Ceramics” association of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (2004) or the honorary membership of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2004). In 2007 Wagner was honored several times; He received the Miller-von-Hauenfels Medal from the Austrian Mining Association, the Great Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria , and the Great Medal of the State of Styria . Reinhold Mitterlehner , then Minister for Economic Affairs , awarded him the professional title of Bergrat hc .

Throughout his entire academic career, he wrote over 215 scientific publications, wrote six books or book chapters and has been co-editor of the Berg- und Hüttenmännische monthly books for many years (1994–2007) . In addition, he wrote countless expert reports, reports and expert reports for authorities in Austria, Switzerland , the European Union and the World Bank, as well as raw material companies and companies. As a professor in Leoben, he supervised the habilitations of Arnulf Grübler and Peter Moser , as well as the dissertations of eight other students. During his time in South Africa, he worked on the dissertations of twelve other students. These were students from the Montan University Leoben, the TU Clausthal , the University of Hanover , the Witwatersrand University, the Rand Afrikaans University , the University of Pretoria and the University of Leeds .

Today (as of May 2018) Wagner lives with his wife Annelore, whom he married in 1967, in Leoben-Hinterberg .

Awards & honors

literature

  • Huw Phillips : A Tribute to Professor Emeritus Horst Wagner: Researcher, Administrator, Mentor and Academic . In: Berg- und Hüttenmänniche monthly books . 160th volume, issue 4. SpringerWienNewYork, 2015, p. 157-162 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mitterlehner honored successful personalities from business life , accessed on May 8, 2018
personal data
SURNAME Wagner, Horst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian mining engineer, mining scientist and university lecturer
DATE OF BIRTH May 24, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Salzburg , Austria