Javad Sattarvand received the Ph.D. degree in mining engineering from the University of RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany in 2009. From 2000 to 2015, he was a Faculty with Mining Engineering Department, Sahand University, Iran, where he was an Associate Professor. In 2015, he joined the University of Nevada, Reno, Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, as an Assistant Professor. His research focuses on mining automation and safety. Prof. Sattarvand is the PI on several Federally funded grants and is a member of the society of Mining and Exploration (SME).