Yu-Jen Yu, a fourth-year Lassonde Mineral Engineering student, has won a SAG Conference Student Award. The SAG Conference Undergraduate Scholarship is awarded every four years from proceeds from the conference as well as donations from sponsors. To be eligible for an Undergraduate award, the student must be registered in the final two years of an Engineering or an Applied Science degree program that includes an educational component in the field of mineral processing.
The citation from the presenting SAG Foundation president, Mike Samuels, reads: “The SAG Conference Award Foundation is pleased to present you with an Undergraduate Degree Program Student Award for the 2025/2026 academic year. It is a privilege for us to be able to support Canadian university students.”
“Receiving the SAG Undergraduate Award is an incredible honour,” says Yu. “I am deeply grateful to Professor [Kamran] Esmaeili for the guidance and support he provided me during the process as well as throughout my studies at the University of Toronto. This award will help me finish strong in my final year as I transition into my professional career, where I hope to carry forward the spirit of innovation and excellence in mineral processing.”
Yu’s recent industry experience includes a Professional Experience Year Co-op (PEY Co-op) at Vale from May 2024 to June 2025 at Vale Base Metals as a Mineral Processing and Mineralogy Student.
SAG is the mining industry’s process known as Semi-Autogenous Grinding, involving a type of grinding mill that utilizes a small amount of steel balls along with large lumps of ore to assist in the size reduction of hard ores.