The Novum is a site for the Science, Technology, and Society degree program at South Dakota School of Mines. The STS program offers both a major and a minor in STS as well as a minor in Creativity & Collaboration in STEM.
Novum means new thing. The term is often used in discussions of science fiction to refer to a new invention or social change that creates the world of the story. The speculation required to imagine new fictional worlds mirrors the creative thinking required to enact new futures in the real world. The STS degree prepares students to examine and analyze the ways the world is, to imagine what it could be, and to take action to effect change.
We look to our students to create the world they (and we) will live in, and a degree in STS is a way to both contribute to and understand this world as it unfolds.
Most Recent Posts
2025 SURF Artist in Residence Showcases Interactive Sculptures at Mines APEX Gallery
The Apex Gallery and STS program present Chris Combs, the 2025 SURF Artist-in-Residence. Combs will speak at Hay Camp Brewery (part of the STEAM Cafe series) and on South Dakota Mines’ campus at the Apex Gallery. His interactive and time-based sculptures consider the neutrino and our relationship to it.
We’re Off to See the Blizzard!
This semester’s final STS 401 student post features Kendall Custer writing about her capstone research on forecasting large snowfall events.
Unseen Impacts: Lasting Health Effects on Uranium Miners in Western New Mexico
The third in this year’s series of posts from STS 401 students is by Colin Gholson, whose capstone project will focus on environmental justice issues related to uranium mining in western New Mexico.
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The Novum 