Education
- Mining Engineering (Ing.), Mining Engineering Department, University of Petrosani, Romania. Project: Advanced Shaft Sinking Methods
- MS Degree, Mining Engineering, Laurentian University of Sudbury, Canada. Project: Computer Simulation of Ventilation Conditions for Automated Underground Metal Mines
- Ph.D., Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Project: New Ventilation Design Criteria for Underground Metal Mines Based Upon the "Life-Cycle" Airflow Demand Schedule.
Research Summary
Between 2021-2022, as Professor and Principal Investigator (PI) in the Mining Engineering Department, University of Utah, I was involved in a $460,000 research project funded by the Alpha Foundation “Application of Pressure Balancing Techniques at the West Elk Coal Mine”. Between 2012 - 2020, as an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, I have been conducting research through sponsored projects totaling over $3.5M, funded by federal agencies and the mining industry.
Biography
I am a professor in the Mining Engineering Department, College of Mines and Earth Sciences at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. I am also a licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario (P.Eng.), Canada. I have over 25 years of mining industry-focused experience working for consulting firms in Europe and Canada (see mining-industry experience on page 14). In addition, I have 12 years of academic experience in teaching undergraduate and graduate-level mining engineering courses, while conducting research in a wide range of specialties at the Mining Engineering Department, University of Utah (2021 - Present), and at the Mining Engineering Department, University of Nevada, Reno (2012 - 2020).
On January 1, 2021, I was hired at the rank of Professor in the Mining Engineering Department, University of Utah. After one year, on January 1 2022, I was appointed department chair. From that time on, in addition to teaching and administrative duties, I was the Principal Investigator (PI) of a $460,000 research project founded by the Alpha Foundation. The objective of the project was to develop a control system to minimize spontaneous combustion in the gob, while minimizing the inflow of methane gas from the gob into the production areas. While being challenged by Covid-19 restrictions, this project was successfully completed in November 2023.
In March 2023, I spearheaded a new interdisciplinary Mining Safety program in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational Environmental Health (RMCOEH) that will bring new perspectives in tackling tough safety and health problems in the mining industry. Classes in the Mining Safety program will be taught by faculty members from the mining engineering department, but unlike standard engineering courses, these will be geared towards a broad spectrum of students within the State of Utah with backgrounds ranging from industrial hygiene, emergency response, to psychology, and public health. The program is expected to begin accepting students in August 2023. Funding for the Mine Safety program is provided by the Utah Legislature with a cap on research and development costs of $2.4M over the next 10 years ($240,000/year).
On February 1, 2023, I was appointed by the management of Rio Tinto Kennecott as “independent reviewer” of the Resolution Copper project in Superior, Arizona. My responsibility is to review the design and construction of surface and underground structures/systems by providing a high-level, multidisciplinary engineering and scientific expertise and confirmatory analyses of engineering calculations. I am also assisting the mine design team to proactively reduce risks, identify potential design flaws, while providing alternative solutions to final designs. I strongly believe that this effort will further strengthen the Mining Engineering Department’s relationship with the management team at Rio Tinto.
As Director of the Center for Mine Safety and Health Excellence, Department of Mining Engineering, I am happy to announce that the Center in collaboration with Minverso developed the initial phase of a first-ever metaverse platform which includes a Health & Safety training program for the mining industry developed by using virtual reality (VR) technology. This collaborative initiative blends cutting-edge technology with academic expertise to offer our students and the mining industry a unique and immersive learning experience.
With the mining industry in positions such as Mining Consultant, Project Leader, and Senior Research Engineer, I was involved in mine feasibility level studies, detailed mining engineering projects, and research projects in areas such as: (1) mine planning, (2) mine design, (3) ventilation system design, (4) ventilation- on-demand control systems, (5) dust control in underground mines, (6) atmospheric monitoring, (7) mine climate modeling, (8) heat stress evaluation and reduction of heat-related illnesses, (9) mine cooling systems, (10) emergency response.
Other Profile Data
On January 1, 2021, I was hired at the academic rank of Professor in the Mining Engineering Department, University of Utah, and appointed Director of the Center for Mine Safety and Health. In addition, on Januray1, 2022, I was appointed department chair. Between 2021 - 2022, as a Professor in the Mining Engineering Department, at University of Utah, I published 3 journal papers, 2 peer-reviewed conference papers, and delivered presentations at invited meetings and workshops (see journal publications, page 9).
While with the mining industry and academia, I published 28 journal papers, 34 peer-reviewed conference papers, and delivered over 40 technical presentations at invited meetings and workshops. Through consulting and auditing work, I prepared and delivered over 30 professional reports to the mining industry, government organizations, and consulting firms (see Industry Experience).
With respect to Department service, I would like to mention that I was the Faculty Advisor of the John Mackay Club (JMC), which is the student chapter of the Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). As faculty advisor of the JMC, my services include: (1) guiding the mining engineering students on their senior field trips, (2) organizing and ensuring students’ attendance at the SME’s annual conferences, (3) advising and supervising the students during SME’s annual conferences, (4) organizing industry presentations, and (5) provide advice and support on fundraising activities. With respect to department service, I am a member of the department’s Personnel Committee and a member of the department’s Tenure Committee.
As service to the College of Science and to the University, I was a member of professional committees and outreach organizations, such as: (a) The College of Science Personnel Committee, which is made up of representatives of all the academic programs to evaluate applications for promotion and tenure, (b) Judge for the Graduate Students Association Awards Program, and (c) Member of the Nevada Mining and Material Sector Council, which focuses on providing training, and educational programs to improve safety and health at the surface and underground mines in the state of Nevada.