Isabel Peñaloza Araujo

Metallurgical Engineer at Rio Tinto | ESG | Critical Minerals

Ecuador

About

Hi dear community my name is Isabel Peñaloza Araujo from Ecuador. I come from a family of small fair trade banana farmers back home, thanks to their effort and sacrifice I am this woman today. I love traveling and outdoors, playing piano and learning new languages. *Environmental Advisor, working with Remediation Projects at Kennecott *Graduate Rio Tinto, September 2024. Mine Closure, Environmental Technical. Present Coordinating Closure Projects in the water space and critical minerals valorization. *Graduate Rio Tinto, February 2024. Underground Operations - Bingham Canyon *Graduate Rio Tinto, June 2023. Copper Telluride- PM plant & Copper Refining *Metallurgical Intern at Rio Tinto Concentrator, summer 2022 *Graduate Student Liaison of the SME Student Chapter, John Mackay Club (JMC), UNR 2021-2023 *Social Media Director of the Northern Nevada SME Section 2023. *Secretary of the SME Ecuador Section (2023-2024) *Vice-president of the SME Ecuador Section (2021-2025) *Masters student at the University of Nevada, Reno. United States. 2021-2023 *Graduate Research & Teacher Assistant of the Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Department *Junior Mining Engineer at Lundin Gold -Ecuador 2021 *Bachelors in Mining Engineering ESPOL-Ecuador. 2014-2020 *Exchange Student of Mining Engineering of University of São Paulo, Brazil. 2018-2019 Language domains: English, Spanish and Portuguese Eager to learn; can conceptualize ideas thoughts quickly and retain new skills promptly. Looking for new experiences in the national and international mining industry.

Experience

  • Rio Tinto (3 yrs 2 mos)
    • Advisor Water
      Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

    • Metallurgical Engineer
      Jun 2023 - Dec 2025 · 2 yrs 7 mos

      Graduate Program: KENNECOTT REFINERY (June/2023-February/2024): Precious Metals at the Refinery. Supporting the Tellurium Plant: “From Slimes to solar panels”; and Tank House daily electrorefining and electrowinning KENNECOTT UNDERGROUND (February/2024 - September/2024): Supported Underground operations, BEV simulation facilitation and ventilation KENNECOTT ESG- CLOSURE R&D (September/2024- Present): Supporting closure projects around critical mineral recovery, coordinating projects in the water space

  • Graduate Research And Teaching Assistant at University of Nevada, Reno
    Aug 2021 - May 2023 · 1 yr 10 mos

  • Metallurgical Engineering at Rio Tinto
    May 2022 - Aug 2022 · 4 mos

  • Mine Junior Engineer at Lundin Gold Ecuador
    Apr 2021 - Jun 2021 · 3 mos

  • Personal de editorial at EMM
    May 2020 - Nov 2020 · 7 mos

    El El Mono Minero, es un sitio de información de vanguardia del Ecuador para el Mundo. EMM llegó a mi vida mientras cursaba mis estudios universitarios, en medio de una pandemia de COVID-19. Llegó a ser el medio por el cual puedo dar mi perspectiva sobre la minería en mi país y el espacio en el cúal he podido motivar a más niñas, jóvenes mujeres a incursionar en las áreas STEM. A través del EMM consigo mostrar los desafíos que afrontaremos los futuros profesionales de la Ingeniería de Minas y carreras afines, con la finalidad que nos comprometamos a impulsar una Minería Responsable en el Ecuador fundamentado en el respeto a las comunidades y al medio ambiente. Un honor formar parte del equipo de editorialistas del EMM