Bluefield State Names Keith Sigmon Director of Mining Engineering Technology Program

Bluefield State University has named alumnus and longtime mining industry leader Keith Sigmon director of its Mining Engineering Technology program. Sigmon will also serve as an assistant professor.

A 1993 graduate of Bluefield State’s Mining Engineering Technology program, Sigmon returns to the University with more than 28 years of experience in mining operations, engineering, safety, management and workforce development.

“Keith Sigmon has spent his career in this industry, and he knows what it takes to run a mine and what it takes to train someone to run one,” said BSU Acting President Cathy Deeb. “He’s also one of us. He graduated from Bluefield State, and he knows firsthand what this university can do for a student willing to work for it.”

Sigmon began his career as an engineering draftsman while attending Princeton High School and Mercer County Vocational School, where he concentrated on pre-engineering, surveying and drafting. He later enrolled at West Virginia Tech before transferring to Bluefield State College in 1991.

While completing his bachelor’s degree, Sigmon participated in an engineering trainee program at the CONSOL Energy Buchanan No. 1 Mine in Oakwood, Virginia. After graduation, he accepted a permanent position at the company’s Burning Star No. 4 Mine in Cutler, Illinois. He later returned to Buchanan No. 1, advancing through several leadership positions, including ventilation coordinator, assistant mine foreman, assistant superintendent, mine superintendent and general manager.

Sigmon also served as a federal mine inspector with the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Throughout his career, he has emphasized workplace safety, environmental stewardship, operational efficiency and the training and development of future mining professionals.

In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from Bluefield State, Sigmon earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. In 2024, he was inducted into the Bluefield State University Engineering Hall of Fame in recognition of his professional contributions to engineering and the mining industry. He has remained a strong supporter of Bluefield State and its efforts to reestablish and grow the Mining Engineering Technology program.

Bluefield State revived the bachelor’s degree program in Mining Engineering Technology in 2024 in response to a growing national need for qualified mining professionals. The program combines classroom instruction with practical experience and strong industry partnerships to prepare graduates for careers in mine operations, safety, design, management and related fields.

“West Virginia can’t run its mines without people who know how to run them, and right now we don’t have enough coming up behind the ones retiring,” Deeb said. “Bluefield State is training that next generation. With Keith’s leadership and the partnerships we’ve built with industry, this program is going to produce the engineers this state needs.”

Sigmon is a native of Bluefield who spent much of his childhood in Princeton. He resides in Tazewell, Virginia, with his wife, Kandi, and is the father of two children.