Straub returns to SURF in newly created role

In 2009, Wendy Straub joined a team that had undertaken an unprecedented project: turning a former gold mine into America’s deepest underground science laboratory. For five years, she worked with teams to do just that—redesigning caverns, retrofitting equipment and moving world-leading scientists and experiments into the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab). Now, after eight years away, Straub has returned as the facility’s first Director of Hoists and Shafts.

“Some things have changed a lot,” Straub said, noting new science experiments and underground infrastructure projects. But a few things, like many familiar faces around the facility, haven’t changed at all. “It’s great to walk into these meetings and see people I worked with from the very beginning.”

When Straub first heard about the “underground science project in South Dakota,” she knew she wanted to be a part of it. Starting in 2009 as a project engineer, Straub worked to prepare the Davis Campus for science. Through survey support and blast design, she helped teams enlarge and outfit the caverns that now host multiple science laboratories on the 4850 Level.

After the Davis Campus was outfitted, Straub was responsible for coordinating the transportation of science equipment underground. Straub helped transport supplies, machines, sensitive equipment—and even what would become the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector—to laboratory spaces nearly a mile underground. Straub also developed guide training materials to help the scientists and users become accustomed to safely working underground.

In 2013, she moved to Green River, Wyoming, to accept a position as mine engineering superintendent at a mine formerly known as OCI Chemical, now Ciner Group. Shortly after this move, she was made mine manager of the facility.

“That was a real learning experience for me, with a lot of growth and professional development,” Straub said. “In that leadership role, I learned how important it is to listen to your people—the subject matter experts—to listen to the ones down in the trenches, doing the work, day in and day out.”

Straub was a member of the Wyoming Mining Council. In this role, she was responsible for testing for the state’s mine foreman certification process. “I’m big on safety,” Straub said. “In this role, I could contribute to bringing people up who want to have increased responsibility of supervising people in the underground. We wanted to ensure that they understood their roles and responsibilities.”

Now, back at Sanford Lab, she looks forward to combining that dedication to safety with her expertise in engineering and operations. As Director of Hoists and Shafts, Straub is responsible for the operations and maintenance of the Ross and Yates hoists and shafts.

“I see this role as an opportunity to contribute and rely on my experience. In operations, I like the opportunity to make decisions and make a difference on the ground. But also have that passion for engineering. I think this role incorporates both,” Straub said.

According to William McElroy, operations program manager at Sanford Lab, this position was created in 2021 to increase focus on hoists and shaft operations at the facility. These operations were formerly grouped with related underground operations, including underground ventilation controls, water mitigation controls, travel way improvements and construction support to contractors and experiments.

“As the Underground Access Department’s workload continues to grow, we wanted to provide added focus on the functional areas within that department. These changes better position us to service our experiments and projects,” McElroy said.

A Montana native, Straub earned a degree in mining engineering from Montana Technology University’s School of Mines and Engineering before gaining 17 years of experience in underground facility engineering, operations and leadership.

“Wendy is a great addition to the team due to her education, background with Sanford Lab and experience in the mining industry,” said McElroy.

Straub is also looking forward to being back in the Black Hills, which have come to feel like home. “One of my passions is four wheeling with my girlfriends. I have a picture on my desk of me with a bunch of the gals from Sanford Lab on one of our overnight four wheeling camping trips in the hills. It was such a fun memory,” Straub said.