FALL2022 | TOWER 19 behind to succeed on her own in Colorado, and later Arizona. “I have always been a really shy person,” Racosky said. “I don’t think Alex 10 years ago would have ever thought I’d be doing something like what I’m doing today. That’s how shy I was.” WORKING MORE THAN A MILE UNDERGROUND Racosky earned her master’s degree in economic geology from Colorado State University before joining Resolution Copper in 2017. She began working above ground but, about two years ago, an exciting opportunity took her more than a mile below the surface, where she worked with an underground team deepening one of the mine’s vertical shafts. “It’s like a circle that’s 20 feet in diameter,” Racosky said. “You’re just in this cylinder and you can’t go deeper, and once your ride (elevator) goes back up, you have nowhere to go.” Racosky scanned the rock face with a 3D laser scanner for analysis, mapped the geology, and sent reports to help engineers sink the shaft safely. “If there was a weak fault or something, they needed to know that it was there,” Racosky said. Another underground project involved Racosky working with the drilling team 10 hours a day while they drilled from the deepest part of the mine to investigate layers just above. She helped manage roughneck drillers and observed core samples fresh from the drill, all while trying to stay cool. “I think a lot of people don’t understand that once you go below a certain depth in the Earth, it actually gets hotter,” Racosky said. “The water at 6,000 feet underground is about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. So, it’s hot down there and they have to pump cool air down or you would basically cook alive.” But Racosky can take the heat because she loves being a mining geologist. Led by curiosity and confidence, the KU alumna still seizes every opportunity to ask questions, and with mining perspectives high and low, she aspires to one day manage a team of her own.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzcxOTE=