Shruti Kaur

Shruti is currently pursuing her dual degree in computer science and statistics at the University of Saskatchewan. She completed a summer term at Nutrien as an operational excellence, insights and analytics intern last year. This year, she is working as a software engineer in the Digital Delivery team at Nutrien under a 16-month co-op program. She hopes to combine the best of two worlds and work on quantum machine learning solutions for the mining industry. With quantum computing, she intends to pursue innovative solutions to improve the safety and productivity of miners. Her interests revolve around exploration of high potash grade deposits and modelling of complex chemical processes through quantum algorithms. Previously, she has also been a research student assistant under the Department of Mathematics as a quantum researcher and a student assistant to Professors Donna Beneteau and Jeanie Wills to focus on historical mining reliability issues. She is part of the WiN/WIM-SK and hopes to create opportunities for other girls and women who are passionate about this field but perhaps are unaware of it or lacking the opportunity to pursue it. In January of 2026, she also won first place in the Mining Hackathon that was hosted by the IMii and presented her predictive machine learning solution in the IMii Strategic Reception Night 2026. She looks forward to achieving new heights in the mining industry.

Gautam Chunkria

Gautam is a mining engineering student in his final semester at the University of Alberta, with co-op experience at Suncor Energy and Elk Valley Resources. His academic and professional interests focus on mine planning, sustainable resource development, and the application of innovative technologies to support safe, efficient, and responsible mining operations. Through his co-op terms, Gautam gained hands-on experience in short-range planning and operational support across large open-pit mining operations. At Suncor Energy, he supported daily planning activities, production reconciliation, and dispatch data analysis to improve operational efficiency. At Elk Valley Resources, he worked as a short-range planning and drill and blast co-op student, contributing to open-pit and waste dump sequencing, bench blast designs, and coordination of daily and weekly production objectives, while ensuring compliance with site safety and design standards. In addition to his technical experience, Gautam has held leadership roles as vice president of internal affairs and vice president of external relations of the University of Alberta Mining Engineering Club and currently serves as a captain of the 2026 University of Alberta Canadian Mining Games team. He is committed to continuous learning, a strong safety culture, and advancing sustainable mining practices worldwide.

Jameson Hards

Jameson is a second-year automation and instrumentation technician at Northern College's Haileybury School of Mines. His interest in the mining sector began with his roots in Sudbury where family members worked in recruitment for many of the area's mines. After completing his second semester, he undertook a placement at Alamos Gold's Young-Davidson Mine and now intend to finish his studies, with a target to graduate this winter.

Cristanty Hutauruk

Cristanty is a third-year mining engineering student at the University of British Columbia. Growing up in Indonesia, a country rich in mineral resources, she developed a strong interest in how mining can be conducted responsibly and sustainably. At UBC, Cristanty is actively involved in the UBC Concrete Canoe as part of the mix and finance team, where she and her team develop and test a lightweight floating concrete mix for the National CNCCC Competition, while managing financial planning and sponsorship efforts. She contributes to the Mining Undergraduate Society (MUGS) to foster undergraduate engagement through clubroom management and merchandise coordination. She also serves as a leader of NEXT UBC, an Indonesian student organization focused on building community and mentorship. Cristanty also advocates for women in engineering through her involvement with UBC Women in Engineering and Women in Mining by organizing mentorship events and strengthening community engagement. She plans to pursue her career in mineral processing and metallurgy, particularly in mill optimization and the application of mineral processing methods. She is actively seeking industry experience to build her technical foundation. Ultimately, she hopes to apply her knowledge to advance sustainable mining practices in Indonesia.

Kyati Joshi

Khyati is a research scholar in the department of civil engineering at York University, specializing in environmental engineering with a strong focus on the biomining of rare earth elements (REEs) from oil sands tailings. Her research centers on understanding and harnessing microbial processes and biotechnological strategies to enable the sustainable recovery of critical and high-value metals from industrial waste streams. By integrating principles of environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, and resource recovery, her work aims to address both environmental contamination and the growing demand for REEs in advanced technologies. A key aspect of her research involves investigating microbe-mineral interactions, bioleaching mechanisms, and the optimization of operational parameters to enhance metal extraction efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Through this approach, she seeks to develop scalable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional extraction methods, which are often energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. Khyati’s research aligns closely with circular economy concepts by transforming waste materials into valuable resources and promoting sustainable waste valorization. She is highly motivated by the potential of microbial systems to offer innovative solutions for resource recovery and environmental sustainability. Ultimately, her work contributes to advancing the role of biotechnology in metal extraction and supports the development of cleaner engineering practices.

Augustin Marks de Chabris

Augustin is helping to architect the data-driven future of mining. As an incoming Ph.D. candidate at Laurentian University, his research uses artificial intelligence to solve a critical industry challenge: energy prediction for ore haulage fleets. This work provides a technical foundation for the global transition toward battery-electric and autonomous operations. Recognized for his research momentum, Augustin has published a peer-reviewed journal article on cycle detection for mobile mining equipment, and was fast-tracked from his Master’s directly into the Ph.D. program. A two-time recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, he balances technical rigor with the discipline of a high-performance athlete as the former captain of Laurentian’s Male Varsity Nordic Ski Team. Drawing on a deep understanding of underground mobile equipment, Augustin is dedicated to a career in the Canadian mining sector. He focuses on developing energy models that power decision-support tools for fleet management. By transforming raw operational data into practical insights, his work ensures that the next generation of mining is as reliable and cost-effective as it is sustainable.