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Expert is a professionally registered engineer with 28 years of experience in process, chemical and metallurgical engineering, engineering services, research, consulting and industrial plant operations.
Experienced and trained in pyrometallurgy, he also has extensive industrial experience in hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, environmental metallurgy and mineral processing. He has developed and implemented novel hydrometallurgical technologies for pressure leaching, vat leaching, precious metal recovery, base metal recovery, process control, separations, purifications, refining and electrolysis.
His current global assignments include projects in Namibia, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Republic of Georgia, Russia, Peru, Philippines, New Guinea, A frica and Australia. He has been responsible for lab work, pilot plant work, research, process development, engineering design, start-up, operations, management, corporate budgeting, contracting and environmental affairs for mineral processing and hydrometallurgical plants producing silver, PGM's, gold, antimony, nickel, cobalt, zinc, germanium, gallium and copper.
He has authored or co-authored over 100 papers and presentations and holds several international patents. He has served successfully as an expert witness on several international mining cases. Currently, he serves as a director of two publicly traded mining companies in the US and Canada and he owns a successful private consulting engineering business.

As a Full Research Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at his current university, he has directed or co-directed 4 Ph.D. candidates and 14 M.Sc. candidates. He also teaches Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering fundamentals to candidates specifically seeking Professional Engineering registration as well as to Registered Mineral Examiner candidates with the Department of the Interior.


He is active in many professional organizations including participation as an SME Director and Vice President, as an IPMI Director, as a Trustee for North West Mining Association and as a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. He is a Founding Registered Member of SME and a Qualified Professional with MMSA. He also participates with the National Materials Advisory Board, The National Academy of Science, The National Research Council, The National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Engineering.


In 1996 he was awarded the Extraction and Processing Technology Award from TMS. In 1999 and 2004, he was the Technical Chairman for the 23 rd and 28th annual International Precious Metals Institute meetings. In 2001, he was a Co-organizer of a TMS International Symposium on Cyanide. In 2002 he was a Co-editor and Organizer for the Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice & Control International Symposium. Also, in 2002 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Montana Tech. In 2003 he was a Co-organizer of the Fifth International Ian Ritchie Symposium on Hydrometallurgy as well as for the Symposium on Global Development of Copper and Gold Deposits.


In 2005 he is co-chairman for the Northwest Mining Association Annual Meeting and an invited plenary speaker at the 27 th meeting of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru. In 2005 he received the Distinguished Researcher Award from Montana Tech. In 2006 he was the chairman for the Northwest Mining Association meeting held for the first time in Reno, Nevada. For that effort he received the NWMA Presidents Award. In 2007 he will serve as co-Chairman for a joint SME-TMS-IPMI Precious Metals Symposium. In 2008 he will once again serve as a co-organizer for the Sixth International Symposium on Hydrometallurgy. Lastly, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to serve on a BLM Resource Advisory Committee.


Nitrogen Species Catalyzed Pressure Leaching of a Copper Enargite Concentrate, Sociedad Minera El Brocal, S.A.A., Peru: Direction of s study to optimize the successful application of NSC pressure leaching to a copper and arsenic bearing concentrate. Capital and operating costs estimates were determined. Ore Characterization and Process Development for the Cerro de Pasco Silver Deposit, Pan American Silver, Peru: Direction of a comprehensive study to characterize silver ore and develop metallurgical process for production. Industrial Zinc Plant Due Diligence, Diligence Incorporated, USA: A processing engineering review of the design and operation of a zinc hydrometallurgical plant. Review of Alkaline Sulfide Treatment of Antimony and Arsenic from Smelting Products; TECK-Cominco, Canada: A study of the application of industrial alkaline sulfide hydrometallurgy to existing smelter products containing arsenic and antimony. Mercury Due Diligence and Deportment, CVG Bauxilium, Venezuela: A site visit coupled with laboratory testing to determine the origin and deportment of mercury in a Bayer hydrometallurgical alumina treatment plant.