Dr. Yashar Pourrahimian is an associate professor in the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Alberta. He is a registered professional Mining Engineer with more than 20 years of research, teaching, and consulting experience. His research activities are conducted through Mining and Rock ScienceDevelopment and Innovation Laboratory (MRDIL) at the University of Alberta. Dr. Pourrahimian's research focuses on using mathematical modeling, optimization, discrete event/continuous simulation, and intelligent agents to solve complex, large-scale surface and underground mine planning/operations decision-making problems. He has published over 80 papers in major mining journals and conferences.