“I graduated from UMR with a degree in mining engineering, and found a job in salt mines underneath Lake Eerie, below downtown Cleveland," Lusk says. “I wanted to get back into research, though, and when I had the chance to do some explosives research with UMR and Los Alamos laboratories, I jumped at the chance."

Working closely with Jason Baird, assistant professor of rock mechanics and explosives research, Lusk tests blast-resistant windows at the UMR experimental mine. “We’re working with a company that’s developing a more resilient glazing and framing system," Lusk says. “They send us the windows ready to install in a test frame at the experimental mine, and we perform blasts, taking measurements of the blast pressures these windows see.

Lusk, a native of Hutcheson, Kan., sees himself continuing work in research long after he receives his Ph.D. from UMR When he has free time, however, he enjoys hunting.

“I like to be outdoors," Lusk says, “which is something I also get to do as a mining engineer. You don’t spend very much time behind a desk or in a suit. You’re in overalls and a coat, out in the mines, which is just a dirty, nasty environment – and an environment that I’ve grown to like."

Interview with Braden Lusk
KUMR feature on blast-resistant structures, hosted by UMR's Vice Provost for Research Wayne Huebner

Interview (RealPlayer format)