Ezzeddin Bakhtavar
Biography
Dr. Ezzeddin Bakhtavar is a professor of mining engineering with over 16 years of combined academic and industry experience. He joined Laurentian University in 2025 as an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, following his appointments as a Visiting Professor at the University of British Columbia from 2018–2019 and 2022–2024. In 2021, he was promoted to Full Professor of Mining Engineering at Urmia University of Technology, where he had held progressive academic positions since 2009. Dr. Bakhtavar has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, practical guidelines, and scholarly books, making significant contributions to the field of sustainable mining. His research focuses on sustainable mine planning, mine-to-mill optimization, reclamation and post-closure strategies, and the integration of emerging technologies—including IoT, AI, UAVs, and multi-objective optimization—within the evolving frameworks of Mining 4.0 and 5.0. Recognized as one of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in Mining & Environment (Scopus, since 2019), he continues to advance innovation in mining systems and responsible resource development.
Education
- Ph.D. in Mining Engineering (2009)
- M.A.Sc. in Mining Engineering (2004)
- B.A.Sc. in Mining Engineering (2002)
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor, Laurentian University, Canada, Since Jan 2025
- Visiting Professor, The University of British Columbia, Canada, 2022-2025
- Visiting Associate Professor, The University of British Columbia, Canada, 2018-2019
- Full Professor of Mining Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Iran, 2021-2024
- Associate Professor of Mining Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Iran, 2016-2021
- Assistant Professor of Mining Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Iran, 2009-2016
On The Web
- ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9524-2229
- Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=7wepIpIAAAAJ
Research
- Application of IoT-AI-UAV for Digital Mining Transformation
- Sustainable and Responsible Mining
- Optimization of Sustainable Underground Mine Design and Planning
- Sustainable Combined Open-Pit and Underground Mining
- Optimization of Sustainable Mine-to-Mill Operations
- Multi-objective Optimization
Awards
- Top 2% of cited scientists globally in “Mining & Environment” (since 2019-SCOPUS).
- National book of the year in Iran (2021 and 2022), Bakhtavar, E. Combined Open-pit & Underground Mining.
- Researcher of the 4-year (Faculty), Urmia University of Technology (UUT), (2012, 2016, 2020).
- Ranked 1st in Ph.D. National Entrance Exam of Mining Engineering in Iran, (2005).
- Top Ph.D. Student (Amirkabir Uni. Tech.), Iran (2005-2009).
Teaching
- ENGR 3337 EL | Explosives and Blasting Technology (Taught in Winter 2025)
- ENGR 4316 EL | Mine Design I (Will teach in Fall 2025)
- ENGR 4327 EL | Mine Design II (Will teach in Winter 2026)
- ENGR 5396 EL | Special Topics in Mining Engineering (Sustainable Mining) (Will teach in Fall 2025)
Publications
Badakhshan, N., Bakhtavar, E., Shahriar, K., Afraei, S., Ben-Awuah, E. (2025). Unmanned Mining Fleet Management: A Multi-Objective Framework Integrating Deep Reinforcement Learning and Internet of Things, Expert Systems With Applications 287, 128238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.126944.
Bakhtavar, E., Hosseini, S., Main, H., Hewage, K., Sadiq, R. (2025). Robust Prediction of Water Arsenic Levels Downstream of Gold Mines Affected by Acid Mine Drainage Using Hybrid Ensemble Machine Learning and Soft Computing, Journal of Hazardous Materials 489: 137665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137665.
Kotagodahetti, R., Hewage, K., Bakhtavar, E., Sadiq, R. (2025). Gaseous fuel supply chain configuration selection: A life cycle thinking-based decision support framework. Expert Systems With Applications 273: 126944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.126944.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=7wepIpIAAAAJ