Meet The Intern: Jack Ortinau

Prairie State is excited to welcome Jack Ortinau as our Mine Operations Intern this summer!

This fall, Jack will return as a senior to the Missouri University of Science & Technology (S&T). He will continue his studies on mining engineering with a geological engineering minor. Jack chose this path because he was always interested in rocks and geology; he toured the school’s mine and really enjoyed what he saw.

At S&T, Jack is the captain of the Disc Golf Team and a member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. He is also Vice President in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Jack’s past work experience includes a materials testing internship with Geotechnology, Inc, and a stint as a little league baseball umpire. Jack is a huge sports fan, and he enjoys watching the Cardinals, Blues, and Packers.

One of Jack’s classmates was a Prairie State intern in 2021; after hearing their praises, Jack knew this was the place for his internship. “I was also interested in exploring coal mining. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about all the different aspects of running and maintaining coal mines. I am really interested to learn how the engineers plan out future mine operations, and what factors they have to take into account.”

Jack’s future plans include earninghis bachelor’s degree and becoming a mining engineer.