Oleg Plekhov is a doctor of science in physics and mathematics and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is deputy director of the Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He graduated from the Perm State Technical University. He is a leading scientist in the field of fracture mechanics. His field of research includes mechanical problems of laser peening technology and geomechanical problems of rock and soil. He has published several research papers in international and national journals. He is involved in the technical group of the national committee of the European Society of Structural Integrity.