Mining Engineering Outstanding Achievement Award
(Posthumous)
Dr. Rimas Pakalnis, UBC Associate Professor Emeritus Mining Engineering, was born on October 28, 1956, in Val-d’Or, Quebec. He attended KLCVI in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, followed by McGill University for mining engineering and then the University of British Columbia (UBC) for his Masters and PhD. Over his life he taught hundreds of undergraduate students at UBC, and supervised dozens of Masters and PhD students. He was published extensively: in several journals including those for the CIM and SME, government publications for CANMET and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and many conference proceedings globally.
Pakalnis had over 30 years of experience in underground mining. He was a designated expert in the field of rock mechanics by Canadian and U.S. federal agencies and consulted for a wide variety of mining operations throughout the world. His extensive research and practical experience guided his teaching at UBC for over 20 years and internationally, both at conferences and in the delivery of professional development training for mining operations.
Pakalnis was a great champion of empirical method for rock mechanics mine design, putting his conviction and skills into practice around the world. He worked for 169 mining companies across all continents, improving industry practice and keeping his fellow humans safe with his designs.
His legacy includes the many graduate students he supervised and mentored in the field of mining rock mechanics. He and his students developed many empirical design tools in rock mechanics that have become industry standards. He developed a reputation for promoting lifelong education and improving the safety and cost-effectiveness in the industry to be remembered for generations to come. The Dr. Rimas Pakalnis Memorial Fund in Mining Engineering set up in his memory by family and friends (https://memorial.support.ubc.ca/rimas-pakalnis/), will pay tribute to Rimas' life and career by supporting outstanding graduate engineering students at UBC.
Dr. Pakalnis passed away on Thursday October 18, 2018.
