Colorado School of Mines alum Lowell Shonk and his wife, Cheryl, have made a transformative $5 million gift to establish the Lowell and Cheryl Shonk Endowed Chair for the Head of the Economics and Business Program, marking the first named gift of its kind for the department.
The Shonks aim to help Mines enhance business education for all students, ensuring they acquire the critical business acumen necessary to excel as engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs in a rapidly evolving global economy. They previously established a $500,000 graduate fellowship and are now enhancing that investment to bring the endowed fellowship to $1 million, supporting students in Mines’ Mineral & Energy Economics program.
Lowell Shonk’s commitment to Golden-based Mines is rooted in his experience as a graduate student in the Mineral and Energy Economics program. After working in international mining and minerals companies, he became a partner with Cupric Canyon Capital LP, which developed the significant Khoemacau copper-silver mine in Botswana, sold in March 2024.
Shonk said, “With our endowed chair gift, Cheryl and I want to make a permanent difference in the ability of the department to advance its mission. In addition, with the fellowship, we hope to lighten the financial burden of students and propel them to make a difference in their academic success.” He added, “Both gifts are designed to further enhance the world-class Mines education that we believe in and that contributes to the next generation of minerals, energy and environmental leadership.”
The Shonks’ contribution aims to attract future program leaders and support the growth of Mines’ economics and business programs, including graduate programs in Mineral and Energy Economics and Engineering and Technology Management, along with a new Business Engineering and Management Science undergraduate degree program. The program head will develop programming applicable to all Mines students to prepare them with the necessary business acumen for technical industries.
At Mines, students are provided rigorous technical education, but the demand for professionals who can merge technical skills with business strategy is increasing. The Lowell and Cheryl Shonk Endowed Chair will enable Mines to develop programs that equip students with necessary business training. This leadership position will help ensure the Mineral and Energy Economics graduate program remains a leader in its field, grow the Business Engineering and Management Sciences undergraduate program, and broaden business education across all disciplines.
