Professor Davide Elmo is a leading scientist in the area of rock engineering with extensive research, industry, and teaching experience, focusing on block caving, underground mining and open pit mining. He has developed ground-breaking research that merges philosophy, behavioural science, and engineering principles to tackle the issue of sustainable practices in Mining Engineering.

Dr. Elmo holds a Ph.D. (Geomechanics) from the University of Exeter (UK) and a B.Eng. (Hons) in Engineering Geology & Geotechnics from the University of Portsmouth (UK). Dr. Elmo is a professional engineering (P.Eng.) in British Columbia.

Dr. Davide Elmo is a leading scientist in the area of rock engineering with extensive research, industry, and teaching experience, focusing on block caving, underground mining and open pit mining. He has developed ground-breaking research that merges philosophy, behavioural science, and engineering principles to tackle the issue of sustainable practices in Mining Engineering.   

Dr. Elmo broad scholarly interests and track record of interdisciplinary collaborations testify to his commitment to research excellence. Dr. Elmo is familiar with the rapid changes in society, climate, and technology that drive them. He has expanded his research beyond the conventional realm of rock engineering, linking it to problems of behavioural science, sustainability, and the environment. Thanks to his role as an expert advisor supporting communities in their review of mining developments in their territory, the impact of his research extends to regulatory bodies in British Columbia. Dr. Elmo has contributed to several interviews with Canadian newspapers and local news channels on landslides and climate change.

Dr. Elmo received the 2024 Killam Teaching Award for excellence in teaching, the 2023 UBC Faculty of Applied Science Dean’s Award for Service, and the 2021 Thomas Roy Award by the Canadian Geotechnical Society for outstanding contributions to Engineering Geology.

Dr. Elmo has collaborated on 191 publications, including 73 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 3 peer-reviewed book chapters (listed below) and 97 in peer-reviewed conference proceedings. He has published three letters in the prestigious weekly magazine The Economist (September 2023, February 2024 and May 2025) concerning the future of the mining industry worldwide.

Dr. Elmo could be contacted via email davide.elmo@ubc.ca

More about Dr. Elmo can be found here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davide-elmo-2191b320

Researchgate：https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Davide-Elmo