American Resources Corp (NASDAQ:AREC) announced that the chief technology officer of its minority-held ReElement Technologies, Dr. Yi Ding, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Purdue Engineering 38 by 38 Award.
Ding, a graduate of Purdue University's Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, is among 38 young engineering alumni recognized for professional achievement, technical leadership and industry impact.
The annual award is inspired by Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong, who was 38 when he became the first person to walk on the moon.
At ReElement, Ding has been involved in advancing the company's chromatography-based refining platform from laboratory research and pilot-scale validation to commercial deployment. The company develops refining technologies for rare earth elements and critical minerals.
The recognition comes shortly after ReElement announced the commissioning and operation of its first commercial-scale germanium production column at its Advanced Technology Center in Marion, Indiana. The company said the project validated the scalability and modular architecture of its chromatography-based refining platform and marked a transition from technology development and demonstration-scale validation to commercial-scale operations.
"Yi is an extraordinary scientist, engineer and leader, and this recognition is incredibly well deserved," ReElement chief financial officer Kirk Taylor said in a statement.
"His ability to translate complex science into scalable, real-world solutions is at the heart of what we are building at ReElement."
Taylor added that Ding's technical leadership was fundamental to the commissioning of the germanium production column and the broader development of ReElement's refining platform.
ReElement is continuing to commission additional production lines at its Marion facility while advancing partnerships across the semiconductor, defense, advanced manufacturing, battery and permanent magnet industries, the company said.