Ezzeddin Bakhtavar

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 and design, sustainable 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.

• Ph.D. in Mining Engineering (2009)
• M.A.Sc. in Mining Engineering (2004)
• B.A.Sc. in Mining Engineering (2002)

• 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

• Sustainable and Smart Mining
• Sustainable Underground Mine Planning and Design
• Sustainable Combined Open-Pit and Underground Mining
• Sustainable Mine-to-Mill Operations
• Application of IoT-AI-UAV for Digital Mining Transformation
• Multi-objective Optimization under Uncertainty

• 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).

Zahid, M., Bakhtavar, E., Khoso, S., Hussain, S.N., Sadiq, R., Hewage, K. (2026), Spherical Fuzzy Evidential Reasoning for Vehicle-to-Grid Enabled Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Data-Driven Analysis of Public Perception, Travel Behaviour and Society 42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2025.101169

Walgama, S., Hewage, K., Bakhtavar, E., Razi, F., Nicholls, D., Sadiq, R. (2026). Sustainable Electrification of Road Transport in Cold Regions: A Decision Support Framework for Optimal Energy Mix – Insights from Alaska. Energy Conversion and Management.

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.2025.128238

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

Samadi, M., Gilania, S.O., Abdollahisharif, J., Bakhtavar, E. (2025). Towards Sustainable Mine Closure and Reclamation Through Strategic Tailing Disposal Sites Evaluation: A Causality-Based Dempster-Shafer Framework, Resources Policy 108: 105676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105676

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

Zhang, H., Hewage, K., Bakhtavar, E., Sun, Q., Sadiq, R. (2025). Robust building energy retrofit evaluation under uncertainty: An interpretable machine learning approach. Energy Conversion and Management 345: 120362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2025.120362

Khoso, S., Bakhtavar, E., Abouyoussef, A., Zahid, M., Hewage, K., Sadiq, R. (2025), Optimizing Hybrid Insulation Systems for Diverse Climates: A Comparative Analysis of Composite Material Combinations in Residential Buildings, Journal of Energy and Buildings 348: 116433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116433

Sultana, S.R., Rana, A., Bakhtavar, E., Hewage, K., Alam, M.S., Sadiq, R. (2025). Achieving Net Zero Energy through Behavioural Analytics and Fuzzy Regression Analysis: A Living-Lab Based Study. Journal of Building Engineering 114, 114393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2025.114393

Abouyoussef, A., Hewage, K., Bakhtavar, E., Sadiq, R. (2025). Evaluating Advanced Building Insulation Materials: A Flexible-Weighting Multi-Objective Optimization Approach. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2024-0579

Badakhshan, N., Shahriar, K., Afraei, S., Bakhtavar, E. (2024). Optimization of transition from open-pit to underground mining considering environmental costs, Resources Policy 95: 105178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105178

Faybishenko, B., Bakhtavar, E., Hewage, K., Sadiq, R. (2024). Chemical Composition of Arsenic-based Acid Mine Drainage in the Downstream of a Gold Mine: Fuzzy Regression and Clustering Analysis, Journal of Hazardous Materials 465: 133250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133250

Kotagodahetti, R., Hewage, K., Bakhtavar, E., Sadiq, R. (2024). Life Cycle-Based Multi-Objective Model for Optimal Gaseous Fuel Generation and Portfolio Allocation in Gas Grids: A Strategic Decarbonization. Energy Conversion and Management 319: 118926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118926

Mohammadiun, S., Alavi, A., Bakhtavar, E., Hu, G., Li, J., Hewage, K., Sadiq, R. (2024). Integrated Optimization of Marine Oil Spill Response and Liquid Oily Waste Management using Mathematical Programming and Evolutionary Metaheuristic Techniques, Journal of Hazardous Materials 463: 132838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132838

Moudgil, V., Sadiq, R., Bakhtavar, E., Paudel, A., Hewage, K. (2024). A Cloud-Oriented Data-Analysis Framework to Analyze Peak Demand Dynamics in Institutional Building Clusters, Sustainable Cities and Society 111: 105553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105553

Bakhtavar, E., Saberi, S., Hu, H., Sadiq, R., Hewage, K. (2023). Fuzzy Cognitive-based Goal Programming for Waste Rock Management with In-Pit Dumping Priority: Towards Sustainable Mining, Resources Policy 86: 104095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.104095

Esmailzadeh, S., Bakhtavar, E., Mokhtarian-Asl, M., Sadiq, R., Hewage, K. (2023). Mathematical modelling of waste rock management through incorporating open-pit waste rocks in underground stope filling: An environmental approach, Resources Policy 85: 103885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103885

Samadi, M., Bakhtavar, E., Hu, G., Hewage, K., Sadiq, R. (2023). Assessment of Mine Post-Closure Strategies by Integrating Evidential Reasoning and Fuzzy Cognitive Maps: Toward Sustainable Mining Policy, Resources Policy 83: 103719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103719

Badakhshan, N., Shahriar, K., Afraei, S., Bakhtavar, E. (2023). Determining the environmental costs of mining projects: A comprehensive quantitative assessment, Resources Policy 82: 103561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103561

Badakhshan, N., Shahriar, K., Afraei, S., Bakhtavar, E. (2023). Evaluating the impacts of the transition from open-pit to underground mining on sustainable development indexes, Journal of Sustainable Mining 22(2). https://doi.org/10.46873/2300-3960.1382

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