Dr. Honaker is a Professor of Mining Engineering and a designated University Professor with distinction at the University of Kentucky (UK). He received his B.S. (1986), M.S. (1988) and Ph.D. (1992) degrees in Mining and Minerals Engineering from Virginia Tech. He served as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Mining Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale from 1991 to 1999. Dr. Honaker joined the faculty at UK as an Associate Professor in 2000, awarded the Mining Engineering Distinguished Professorship in 2005 and promoted to the full-professor rank in 2006. He served as the Department Chair and Executive Director of the UK Mining Engineering Foundation from 2007 – 2017.

Dr. Honaker has contributed significantly to the scientific community in the broad area of extractive metallurgy. A listing of some of his most substantial achievements and contributions in this area include: nearly $30 million in research funding received from federal and state agencies as well as private companies with over 80 funded research projects, nearly 250 publications as author or co-author including 140 peer-reviewed articles, seven U.S. patents and patent applications, and over 50 substantive project reports resulting from industrial consultations.  Over the last four years, Dr. Honaker has worked with federal and state governments, university partners and industrial companies in an effort to design, construct and test a pilot-plant for rare earth and critical material recovery and extraction. In recognition of his research accomplishments, the University of Kentucky inducted him into the highest professor designation of University Professor in 2017.

Dr. Honaker currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration as well as the Executive Board for the Coal Preparation Society of America. He is also serving a five-year appointment as Commissioner on the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.