Elena B. Gridina graduated with honors as a Master of Mining Engineering from St. Petersburg State Mining Institute (Technical University) named after G.V. Plekhanov. In 2004, she defended her PhD thesis ahead of schedule (PhD program 25.00.21: Theoretical Aspects of Mine Planning and Design) Teaching experience: February 2005 to June 2008: Assistant Professor, Vorkuta Mining Institute (branch of St. Petersburg State Mining Institute) July 2008 to August 2010: Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the Department of Mining Engineering, Vorkuta Mining Institute (branch of St. Petersburg State Mining Institute) Since September 2010: Associate Professor, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, St. Petersburg Mining University. She has done internships at mining companies, schools, and universities in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, and the UK. She has published more than 140 academic papers and educational materials. Her areas of expertise include occupational risk management and accident risk management at Russian open-cast mines.