LTU Graduates Awarded Janne Kempe Scholarship for Groundbreaking Mining Research

Two alumni from Luleå University of Technology, Leslie Logan and Kateřina Hrůzová, have been awarded the prestigious 2025 Janne Kempe Scholarship for their exceptional doctoral theses.

The awards celebrate research that offers forward-looking, sustainable, and competitive solutions for the Swedish mining and metals industry.

Leslie Logan received the award in Economic Geology for her thesis on the Kiruna mining district's copper and gold mineralization.

• Thesis Title: Energy, Structures, Metals, and Fluids: A Mineral Systems Study of Cu ± Au Mineralization in the Kiruna Mining District.
• Impact: Her "magnum opus" provides a significant, rigorously structured, and clearly illustrated contribution to the geological understanding of the Kiruna area, offering key insights for future exploration.

Kateřina Hrůzová was honored in the Environment category for her work on sustainable mineral processing.

• Thesis Title: Potential of Organosolv Lignin Nanoparticles as a Sustainable Flotation Reagent: Towards a Low-Carbon Footprint Mining Industry.
• Impact: Dr. Hrůzová successfully showed that organosolv lignin particles —derived from spruce and birch by-products—can replace part of traditional flotation reagents. This innovative approach leads to improved copper recovery and offers clear environmental benefits, driving the green transition in the sector.

Both theses demonstrate strong scientific contribution and high industrial relevance. Congratulations to both awardees!