In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Nuton proudly recognizes the women driving our innovation forward while inspiring the next generation to explore opportunities in STEM. Meet Abigail and Casandra, two University of Arizona alumnae engineers helping define sustainability at Nuton.

Women in STEM: engineering careers in sustainable mining

Abigail and Casandra are engineers, both hailing from the University of Arizona and both part of the Nuton Graduate Program. Their careers began in the mining industry during a pivotal shift toward green technology. Abigail and Casandra are currently on the ground at Johnson Camp Mine, Nuton’s first industrial-scale deployment, turning the goal of sustainable copper leaching into a daily reality.

Unearthing the world of mining

Both engineers launched their careers with the same fundamental curiosity: What turns a rock into the metal our world depends on?

Abigail, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Orange County, California, found her answer during a mining internship last summer. “I loved seeing all of the heavy equipment on site and learning about the variety of chemical processes it takes to go from rocks to pure copper,” she says. That initial spark led to a career search for a program that offered breadth and depth, which brought her to Nuton.

Casandra is a Mining and Geological Engineering graduate born and raised in Phoenix. She discovered her passion for mining during a tour of the San Xavier Research Laboratory. Later, she was inspired by her senior design project, in which she led mining engineers to develop a drill-and-blast pattern for an underground panel caving excavation. This experience ignited a drive to work with a company that values innovation, growth, and culture.

Why Nuton?

The mining industry has previously been defined by tradition; however, Rio Tinto’s Graduate program offers a fresh perspective, and at Nuton, roles stand out as a departure from traditional mining roles. Abigail and Casandra sought out this rotational structure, allowing early-career engineers to experience a variety of the business’s facets, providing perspective not only on the “how” but also on the “why.”

For Abigail, Nuton was appealing because it offered the opportunity to see the entire
ecosystem of an industrial plant.

Casandra’s path was guided by a desire to align her technical skills with her personal values. Nuton provided that with its innovative goal of sustainability in mining.

“Farming” microbes: A day in the life at Johnson Camp Mine

At Nuton’s Johnson Camp Mine, Nuton´s first industrial-scale deployment, high-level engineering meets real-world application. Every day, Abigail and Casandra observe groundbreaking ideas as they work directly with sustainable, state-of-the-art technology.

Abigail’s day-to-day involves maintaining microbial growth. Her core goal is “farming” microbes, regulating metabolic health and growth rates to drive the biomining process. She understands microbes at a cellular level. But it doesn’t stop there. “Outside of that, I try to get in the field as much as possible to understand what different teams are working on and get exposure to other parts of the process.” Learning something new is a crucial part of every day.

Casandra splits her time between two sectors of the mine. Part of her time is dedicated to learning modeling, project benchmarking, and designing equipment improvements. As an engineering project manager, Casandra has cultivated a passion for the process and operations side of Nuton. The rest of her time is invested in that passion, in the field overseeing and providing technical guidance on the construction, engineering, and commissioning of vital plant components.

Challenging the status quo: STEM careers in copper

Abigail and Casandra’s budding careers represent a vital shift in the mining landscape. Their work bridges the gap between classroom theory and industrial-scale application, and these graduates are at the forefront of Nuton’s mission to redefine how the world sources copper. For Casandra, reshaping the mining industry begins with healthy skepticism and a refusal to accept “the way it’s always been” as the gold standard. “Innovation comes from those who question the conventional,” she says, emphasizing that a more sustainable and efficient future is only possible when we dare to disrupt. 

Their careers serve as a blueprint for the next generation of talent, creating space for young women and girls to follow in their footsteps and showing that meaningful change often begins with challenging long-standing industry norms.

Steve McCabe has a packed schedule. As a Senior Deployment Advisor at Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture, his job is to help bring the company’s groundbreaking heap leaching technology to life.


“It’s a lot of coordination,” Steve said, putting it simply.

From working with vendors and leading teams to building mobile labs, and analyzing materials, there’s no shortage of moving pieces ahead of Nuton’s first large-scale deployment at Johnson Camp Mine in Arizona.

Lately, Steve’s main focus has been on agglomeration, a critical step in Nuton’s process. In this phase, fine ore particles are bound together using a blend of additives and solutions, improving permeability and ensuring uniform leaching. This step is essential before the material is placed on heap leach pads, where the bio heap leaching process efficiently extracts copper.

Steve’s passion for his work is evident in his deep knowledge and expertise when discussing his daily responsibilities. He is acutely aware of his journey — from an engineer to a metallurgist to a deployment advisor —and he remains grateful for every step. As the first person in his family to attend college, he understands the significance of higher education.

“There are a lot of challenges that tribal students face,” said Steve, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. For many students in his community, college may not seem likely—or even possible.  The reasons are multiple and complex. Some students may not know how to take the next step after high school, while others may feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do if college is in their plans.

But having a role model—someone who’s been there—can change everything. Before joining Nuton, Steve dedicated years to his Tribe’s education department, assisting students navigate the college process. He continues to mentor high schoolers today, guiding them toward opportunities they might not have realized were within reach.

Steve understands their situation well. When Steve first stepped onto Arizona State University’s campus, he intended to become a nurse. However, after exploring different degree programs, he discovered a passion for chemical engineering. That decision changed his life.

Steve’s education has had a ripple effect—not just for him, but for his entire family. Two of his three children attended Stanford University, and the other recently enrolled at Yale. He doesn’t share this to boast, but to illustrate what’s possible.

“Many Tribal students underestimate themselves,” he explains. “They don’t see their potential. But with the right guidance, they can break through those mental barriers and start seeing what’s out there for them”.

Just like Nuton is working to change the future of copper mining, Steve is working to change the future for students in his community.

Jeana Ratcliff, who works as a Senior Sustainability Advisor at Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture, was born to be a scientist. Growing up in Montana, she spent her childhood outdoors with her science-minded parents, rock-hounding and learning about geology.

Her curiosity extended indoors, where – she constantly tinkered with electronics, learning the ins and outs of any machine she could get her hands on. Jeana fondly recalls buying an old keyboard, taking it apart, and attempting to reassemble it with her two sisters. Her inquisitive nature and love for learning have persisted into her current role at Nuton.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Jeana shared insights about her career journey in the sciences, lessons learned along the way, and the advice she would offer others, especially women, considering a career in science.

What’s your message to young females considering a science-related profession, perhaps in mining specifically?

I think my biggest message is that you don’t have to know everything, and you don’t have to be perfect. A lot of engineers, and scientists, particularly women, struggle with this.

Even as you get further into your career, you should still be learning. There’s a lot of imposter syndrome or fear of asking questions, but I recommend just being curious and allowing yourself to learn more and come up with new ideas. It can feel vulnerable. But realize you don’t have to be 100% perfect at everything to have success.

“News stories of hurricanes and wildfires, droughts and floods are everywhere. It’s easy to feel paralyzed or give up.” Despite the headlines, Cecilia Perla is optimistic. “We need to pay attention to the problem, but also direct our efforts into action rather than despair.”

She’s spent over a decade reshaping copper analysis and decarbonization, and contributing her expertise to governments, universities and NGOs worldwide. And as the United Nations recognizes World Environment Day this June, there’s no better time than now to be enthusiastic about the future of ecosystem restoration.

U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Applied to Copper Mining

Perla, the Sustainability VP for Nuton Technologies, sees good things ahead. “We need to double down on humanity’s capacity to change, our creativity and what Hannah Ritchie calls ‘pragmatic optimism’,” she says referring to sustainability data scientist, researcher and author of the 2024 book, Not the End of the World: How Can We Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. Recognized by Bill Gates as “eye-opening and essential,” Ritchie’s book points to progress made in lowering carbon emissions, deforestation and air quality. “She’s a glass-half-full type of person, just like me.”

Though for Nuton this is a year-round effort, the U.N.’s World Environment Day in June provides an opportunity to showcase how the mining industry — historically associated with environmental degradation — can become a key innovator for ecosystem restoration.

Nuton’s heap leaching technology, in particular, is a source of great hope in the efforts to find new ways to produce copper with a lower environmental footprint. Nuton embraces a ground-up-to-global mindset for copper extraction driven by a company ethos of sustainability and alignment with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

 “We must have a vision of what the post-mining land use for the site is and how we get there,” says Perla referring to Nuton’s ambition to accelerate opportunities for land restoration, one of the five pillars of Positive Impact Strategy. “In the big scheme of things, mining is a temporary land use. We should keep an open mind about what it can become once mining concludes.”

Along with land, Nuton’s Positive Impact Strategy encompasses four additional pillars—water, energy, materials, and society. “This year, we are seeing Nuton germinate, having announced the first industrial-scale deployment of our technology at the Johnson Camp Mine, owned and operated by our partner Excelsior Mining,” Perla says. “We will have more exciting news to share as we mature as a venture and show our partners and the market the full value of Nuton technologies.”

The Future of Sustainable Copper Mining Is Gaining Traction

Nuton is right in line with #GenerationRestoration, this year’s motto for World Environment Day. According to Perla, “Nuton is built on this spirit. Here’s a new technology unlocking opportunities to meet copper demand with a much lighter footprint and less stress on our planet than conventional copper processing technologies.”

As for the future of sustainable copper mining? It´s on its way. Here’s how Nuton’s heap leaching technology already alleviates environmental impact and increases profits.

Lighter Environmental Impact to Meet Copper Demand

It’s simple, according to Perla. “Nuton exists because we need to produce more copper, but we need to do it more sustainably. We focus not only in the what, but also on the how copper is produced.”

“The vast majority of copper comes from primary sulfides, which traditionally go through a process of concentration, smelting and refining,” she says. “Nuton technologies provide an alternative to leaching copper sulfide ores with the help of our carefully cultivated bacteria and unique catalysts and reagents.”

Stronger Economic Impact for Sustainable Copper Mining

Nuton’s ambition to produce copper with a lower carbon footprint, while conserving water, energy, and costs, aligns with the goals of World Environment Day.

World Environment Day 2024 is just one day this summer. But thanks to Perla and the Nuton team, ecosystem restoration and conservation is an everyday ambition.