Mark Board — mining engineering, rock mechanics. Dr. Board is a Principal Engineer with approximately 30 years of experience in the application of rock engineering to problems in mine design, tunneling and slope stability. He has particular expertise in the design of deep mine excavations, and in prevention and mitigation of high stress and seismic stability issues.
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Zhao (Joe) Cheng — software development and support, geotechnical engineering. Dr. Cheng is a software and geomechanics engineer with academic backgrounds in geotechnical engineering and hydraulic structure engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in California. He has research experience in coupling of porous media and fluids, liquefaction models, and soil and rock mechanics. Dr. Cheng has performed many geotechnical projects on seismic-hazard evaluation, earthquake-soil-structure interaction on bridges, tunnels, underground structures, dams, slopes and highways. He actively participated in the seismic retrofits on several toll bridges in the state of California. Dr. Cheng has particular experience in numerical modeling for geotechnical projects. He currently is responsible for the development and support of FLAC3D.
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Mark Christianson — applied rock mechanics, computer interactive graphics & numerical modeling. Mr. Christianson has over 20 years of experience in the development and application of numerical models in geomechanics and mining engineering. He also is experienced in the installation and data analysis for various rock-stress and displacement measuring devices. Mr. Christianson has developed numerical methods for predicting fracture propagation from propellant-loaded gas wells. His work also includes analysis of long-term stability of waste-isolation excavations in salt.
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Branko Damjanac — civil engineering, rock mechanics, groundwater analysis. Dr. Damjanac has experience in the design and analysis of underground excavations for oil storage and waste isolation. He has been involved in stability analyses of mines in both hard and soft rock and has developed a 3D model to simulate the coupled hydro-mechanical response of a fluid-saturated rock mass. Dr. Damjanac has been involved in development of models for numerical simulation of near- and far-field effects of underground nuclear explosions.
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David DeGagné — mining engineering, rock mechanics. Mr. DeGagné is a mining engineer with experience in rock mechanics, including slurry and paste backfill, and sublevel caving. He has developed an alternative binder using recycled glass for use in backfill and has developed numerical models using PFC3D and the parallel-processing option to simulate the flow of ore and waste draw in a sublevel cave mine.
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Christine Detournay — groundwater mechanics, numerical modeling. Dr. Detournay has experience in the development of numerical and analytical models for application to groundwater flow problems. She is a principal developer for the groundwater-flow and thermal models in FLAC3D. She also has an active research interest in methods for handling singularities arising in potential theory.
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Edward Dzik — software development, numerical modeling. Dr. Dzik is a geotechnical engineer with a background in computational geomechanics. He has over 20 years of experience developing commercial and custom software for use in the mining and geotechnical industries and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Alberta, Canada. Dr. Dzik is responsible for FLAC3D.
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James Fritz — software development. Mr. Fritz is a software engineer with an academic background in Computer Science and Physics. He has been developing desktop GUI applications for Macintosh and Windows machines for over two decades . His background includes C/C++ programming, database design and coding, and object-oriented development.
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Jason Furtney — mining, geotechnical engineering. Dr. Furtney is a geotechnical engineer with experience in the petroleum and mining industries. He is experienced with mathematical and numerical modeling of geophysical systems. Dr. Furtney's project work includes an analysis of hydrocarbon reservoir monitoring techniques.
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Xavier Garcia — geomechanics, numerical modeling. Dr. Garcia has worked on the development and application of numerical models for study of the emergent properties of granular materials. He has conducted numerical simulations addressing the relation between the construction history, the resulting microstructure, and the hydraulic properties, acoustics and quasi-static elastic response of porous materials.
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Tryana Garza-Cruz — mechanical & geothermal engineering, numerical modeling. Dr. Garza-Cruz is a mechanical engineer whose background is in geothermal energy and numerical modeling. She has studied the mechanical behavior of hollow glass microspheres, conducted numerical simulations to capture buckling behavior, and performed high-deformation and fracture-mechanics analysis. She also has conducted numerical simulations focused on understanding the stress distribution below a borehole floor at different orientations and orientation directions to aid in constraining far-field stresses.
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Yanhui Han — software development, geotechnical engineering. Mr. Han is a geotechnical/software engineer with academic backgrounds in mine construction, civil/geotechnical engineering Mr. Han is a geotechnical/software engineer with an academic background in civil/geotechnical engineering and computer science. He has research experience in experimental studies of wall support by soil nailing, analytical and numerical application of poroelasticity in petroleum geomechanics and lattice Boltzmann distinct-element coupling. Mr. Han has performed geomechanics consulting in fluid-mechanical coupling, dynamic simulation and soil-structure interaction, as well as development and technical support for commercial computational geomechanics software. He currently is responsible for the development and support of FLAC. Mr. Han is a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota.
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Roger Hart — software development. Dr. Hart manages code development, sales and support services for Itasca's software division. He has been involved with development, validation and application of computational models in geomechanics for more than 25 years. Dr. Hart also conducts and coordinates training courses and symposia for Itasca software. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota.
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Terri Hart — financial administration. Mrs. Hart is involved in all aspects of Accounting for Itasca Consulting Group, Inc., Itasca Houston and Itasca International, with more than 25 years of training and experience. Terri also is involved in maintaining and administering employee benefits and financial packages.
Jim Hazzard — geophysics, numerical modeling. Dr. Hazzard is a geological engineer with a Ph.D. in geophysics. His research involves numerical modeling of microseismicity in mines and underground excavations as well as in hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. He also has extensive experience in software development — specifically, finite element programs for geotechnical and mining engineering. Current research is focused on modeling seismicity during hydraulic fracturing and fluid injection in fractured rock. Dr. Hazzard is a Professional Engineer in Canada.
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Tricia Hendren — software documentation. As editor of Itasca's software manuals, Ms. Hendren maintains a high level of consistency and accuracy both within each manual, and across the entire range of manuals for Itasca’s codes.
Brian Houska — systems administration. Mr. Houska coordinates most office IT responsibilities (e.g., staff technical support, networking and facilities), and all server-end web programming. He also developed and manages the software client database.
Tatyana Katsaga — geophysical imaging, numerical simulation of fracturing. Dr. Katsaga specializes in geophysical data acquisition, including advanced processing and interpretation, and numerical simulations of fracturing processes. Her current research has focused on experimental and numerical investigations of various aspects of fracture formation and development in rock and rock-like materials. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Katsaga possesses a solid background in computer-aided design and engineering using the industry-leading software packages PFC, ANSYS, AutoCAD and SolidWorks. She is the author/co-author of over 20 academic and technical articles.
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Thierry Lavoie — geotechnical engineer, rock mechanics. Mr. Lavoie is a geotechnical engineer with specialization in rock mechanics. He has experience with numerical modeling and field-related work, and has been involved with projects related to design of open pits, re-evaluation of underground mining method and rockfall hazards evaluation.
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Loren Lorig — geotechnical engineering, numerical modeling. Dr. Lorig has over 25 years of experience in engineering projects requiring specialized
geomechanics consulting. His area of expertise is in the application of numerical models to provide solutions to stability, support and dynamics problems in civil and mining engineering. Dr. Lorig has worked extensively at some of the largest open pits in the world and currently is working on studies involving transition from open-pit to underground cave mining at sites around the world. He has served as a member of consulting and peer review boards for several large projects. He has conducted over 40 short courses and has authored more than 50 technical articles,
and he is a Registered Professional Engineer in four U.S. states.
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Mark Lorig — communications and marketing. Mr. Lorig designs various print projects (including banners, book covers, brochures, CDs, packaging, posters and stationary), as well as screen projects (including icon sets, movies, promotional e-mails and web pages). Mr. Lorig also is responsible for creating, maintaining and troubleshooting Microsoft Office templates for Itasca staff. Mark obtained his B.S. in Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota.
Shelby Meyers — office administration. Ms. Meyers assists in administration of all aspects for the Minneapolis office. She has a diverse background in writing, and assists with editing reports, providing quality assurance documentation and consulting communications for Itasca engineers and administrators. She holds degrees in German from Iowa State University and in International Journalism from Hamline University, as well as a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
Michele Nelson — software administration. Ms. Nelson is Coordinator of Itasca’s Software Services overseeing the day-to-day operations of software sales and customer support in the U.S. & Canada, and coordinating sales with other offices and agents worldwide. She is involved in the organization of Itasca’s international symposia, which are held biennially, and serves as editor of the published Proceedings.
Linh Nguyen — administration. Ms. Nguyen assists office administrators in all aspects for the Minneapolis office. She has a background in writing and literature, and is proficient in several foreign languages. She also is one of the first points of contact for clients and visitors, and assists in the day-to-day operation of the office. She holds degrees in English and French, and a minor in Chinese from the University of Minnesota.
Lee Petersen — civil engineering, rock mechanics, inhabited underground space. Dr. Petersen has experience in the analysis and design of underground excavations for occupancy, science facilities, transit and mining. He conducts soil-structure interaction analysis, numerical modeling, in-situ soil modulus measurement, vibration assessment and monitoring, design of deep hard-rock caverns and shallow soft-rock caverns. Dr. Petersen also has done planning, layout, design and construction of deep, occupied underground space, including managing multidisciplinary design teams of structural, electrical and HVAC engineers and architects. In addition, he has specified, installed and monitored structural and geotechnical instrumentation.
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William Pettitt — General Manager. Dr. Pettitt specializes in the development and application of passive seismology techniques to induced seismicity focused on the microseismic and acoustic emission imaging of rock fractures and the integration of these techniques with numerical models. He is the creator of InSite, a leading commercial microseismic software system with licensees that include companies and universities expert in the field deployment and processing for microseismic monitoring. He has developed unique high-frequency data acquisition equipment for fracture monitoring across a range of applications. Dr. Pettitt is General Manager of Itasca Consulting Group, Inc., based in Minneapolis, leading the business and technological development of the company’s products, consultancy and support services, and supervising an internationally respected team of engineers, software developers and supporting staff.
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Matthew Pierce — mining & geotechnical engineering. Dr. Pierce is a geotechnical engineer specialized in the stability analysis and design of underground and open-pit mines. He has experience in the application of numerical models to sequencing and support of underground excavations, assessment of backfill strength requirements and liquefaction potential, analysis of pit slope stability, and prediction of mining-induced seismicity and surface subsidence. Dr. Pierce is a Registered Professional Engineer in Canada.
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Kipha Pinto — office administration. Ms. Pinto provides general administrative support to the Minneapolis office, is the first point of contact for clients and visitors and keeps the day-to-day operation of the office running smoothly. She coordinates travel and accommodation for Itasca’s consultants and guests, and coordinates all scheduling for office meetings and staff activities.
David Potyondy — geomechanics and numerical modeling. Dr. Potyondy has developed and applied both continuum and discontinuum models to represent damage and flow processes on both a macro- and a micro-scale. He has directed development of the PFC codes, has developed the structural-element logic in the FLAC3D code and has developed novel techniques for applying micro-mechanical discontinuum models to fracture-related boundary-value problems, including the prediction of excavation damage produced by stress, temperature and stress corrosion.
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Matthew Purvance — seismology, solid mechanics modeling. Dr. Purvance has developed numerical models to investigate wave propagation and earthquake source physics. In addition, he has developed ground motion constraints via physical testing/characterization and numerical models for fragile geological features. Dr. Purvance is also Assistant Professor in the University of Nevada Reno Seismological Laboratory, as well as being Software Engineer with Itasca.
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Zorica Radakovic-Guzina — non-destructive evaluation, computational mechanics. Dr. Radaković-Guzina's research has focused on the areas of structural dynamics, non-destructive characterization of concrete, damage mechanics and wave propagation. She is responsible for FORTRAN and C/C++ programming development and support for Itasca's FLAC and FLAC3D software, and she assists with the development and testing of the Graphical Interface for Itasca Codes (GIIC).
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Azadeh Riahi — computational geomechanics, numerical modeling. Dr. Riahi is a geomechanics specialist with a Ph.D. in civil engineering. Her research focuses on the mechanics and numerical simulation of continuum and discrete media. She has more than 10 years of research and finite-element code development experience in Cosserat continuum description of materials with microstructure, buckling and large deformation analysis, hydromechanically coupled media and adaptive remeshing techniques. Dr. Riahi is a registered Professional Engineer in Canada.
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Tom Ruen — software development & geometric modeling. Mr. Ruen has developed grid-generation tools for FLAC3D and 3DEC. He is the principal developer for the JAVA-based graphical interfaces for FLAC and UDEC and has developed the 3D model-viewing tools and GUI for REBOP.
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David Russell — software design, numerical modeling. Dr. Russell is a software engineer with a background in mechanics and fluid dynamics, both theoretical and computational. He has participated in the design of Itasca software for more than 10 years.
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Kathy Sikora — office administration. Ms. Sikora has been with Itasca for more than 25 years, adding to her experience assisting engineers in organizing work and finalizing reports in Energy Engineering (University of Illinois) and Mechanical Engineering (University of Minnesota). In addition to her organizational work as Office Coordinator, she has served as the Language/Grammar Editor for most of Itasca’s journal articles, books and reports for engineers. Kathy also provides these services to other Itasca International offices and Associates for those whose primary language is not English. She earned her B.A. in Secondary Education/English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her M.A. in English Literature from the University of Minnesota. She has taught and tutored English as a Second Language, and has taught high-school English courses in Chicago, Illinois.
Douglas Stearley — financial management, business development. Mr. Stearley, Financial Manager, has 20 years of experience in acquiring and managing businesses as an owner, CEO and CFO, with a concentration on mergers and acquisitions, finance, and human resource development. Previous corporate experience included responsibility for numerous projects and departments involving process engineering, industrial hygiene and safety, statistical budgeting techniques, total quality management, and new high-commitment work systems. Mr. Stearley also helped write initial business plans for a university-based program that brings together students and faculty with technology-based companies, and leverages academic research with real-world commercial applications.
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Chad Sylvain — user interface design. Mr. Sylvain leads user-interface (UI) design for Itasca software and develops the support materials needed to assist customers in the use of those designs. This role includes providing designs and specifications to software developers, developing documentation for user interfaces, and design and maintenance of the systems used to create user interface documentation.
Reza Taghavi — software marketing. Dr. Taghavi has several years of experience in software marketing and development in various industries. His areas of expertise are computer-aided engineering, computational geometry grid generation and computational fluid mechanics.
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Maurilio Torres — software development. Mr. Torres is a software engineer with an academic background in civil engineering and computer science. Before joining Itasca, he developed and managed large software projects in various industries. His areas of expertise are C/C++ programming, object-oriented programming and other software-development techniques.
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Natalia Vacciana — software administration. Ms. Vacciana has more than five years of service with Itasca and has over 15 years of experience in the customer-service industry. She is involved in all aspects of software sales, and assists with day-to-day operations of sales and customer-support worldwide.
Varun — geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering. Dr. Varun is a geotechnical engineer with specialization in earthquake engineering and soil dynamics. He has experience with analytical and numerical modeling and has been involved with projects related to seismic hazard mitigation for waterfront structures, dynamic response of foundations, site response and soil-structure interaction.
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Jin Wang — software development, geotechnical & mining engineering. Mr. Wang is a geomechanics engineer with experience in mining engineering and geotechnical engineering. His research involves numerical modeling and simulation, and has involved projects related to sheet-pile walls with retained slope, mine-void detection using geophysical methods and stability of underground mines.
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Yichen Wang — software development. Mr. Wang is a software engineer with an academic background in computer science and engineering mechanics. He has experience in developing large database applications, Web applications and interactive computer graphics. He specializes in C/C++, C#, and SQL programming, object-oriented design, and agile software development. Mr. Wang is a Microsoft-certified technology specialist in .NET frameworks.
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Sue Woehrle — financial administration. Mrs. Woehrle has been with Itasca since 1993, where her primary responsibilities include invoicing, financial project management and accounts receivable. In addition, she provides assistance for Itasca International accounting. Sue has 23 years experience in general office and bookkeeping activities.
