From February 25 to March 1, the 91^stannual meeting of Society of Mining Exploration (SME) was held in the United States. Prof. Wang Jiachen, the vice president of CUMTB, won the “2017 SYD S. PENG Ground Control in Mining Award”. Named after Prof. Syd S. Peng, member of the National Academy of Engineering of America, this award was founded by Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) in the year of 2005. As the top award of ground control in the U.S., its main purpose is to honor those who have made outstanding contributions and achievements in the field, with only one winner each year worldwide.