Program

Biography

Alexis Sáez is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Geophysics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Before joining Caltech, he earned his PhD in Mechanics at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, and obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering at the University of Chile. His research focuses on understanding the hydro-mechanical behavior of the subsurface in relation to problems associated with the development of underground technologies for the energy transition and the mitigation of geo-hazards. He combines tools of theoretical and computational continuum mechanics and applied mathematics to develop physical models that are informed by and explain geological, geophysical, and laboratory observations. Current and past specific research topics include fluid-driven frictional ruptures, injection-induced seismicity, slow earthquakes and hydrogeological processes in subduction zones, and fundamental problems on earthquake nucleation, arrest, and the segmentation of earthquake ruptures along major plate-boundary faults.

Biography

Dr. Zhihong Zhao is a tenured associate professor from Tsinghua University, China. He joined Tsinghua University in 2014, following a post doctoral fellowship at Stockholm University and a PhD from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden. Over the past two decades, he has focused on the coupled thermal hydrological mechanical chemical (THMC) processes in fractured rocks, with primary applications in geo energy engineering, most notably geothermal energy extraction and the geological disposal of high level nuclear waste. His work has yielded 89 SCI indexed papers in JCR Q1 journals and one monograph titled Coupled Thermo Hydro Mechanical Chemical processes in fractured rocks: Fundamentals, modeling and application, collectively cited about 4313 ti mes (Scopus) and H index = 40. He serves as the Associate Editor of International Journal of Geomechanics and editorial boards of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, and Computers and Geotechnics, and as an active member of the ISRM Commissions on Coupled THMC Processes in Fractured Ro ck (2018 2020) and Radioactive Waste Disposal (2020 He also holds 12 invention patents and 6 software copyrights, and chairs the drafting committee for the Technical Regulation for Tracer Tests in Geothermal Reservoirs and Technical Regulation for Applying Numerical Simulation in Hydrothermal Reservoir Development under China’s National Energy Administration. These innovations have been successfully applied to a number of flagship subsurface projects in China, including the scheme optimization of the Rongcheng geothermal reservoir in Xiong’an New Area, the resource assessment of the geothermal reservoirs in Beijing city sub center, and the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory for high level radioactive waste disposal.

Biography

Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte is a geophysicist who is a Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Purdue University. She holds courtesy appointments in the Lyle School of Civil and Construction Engineering and in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, also in the College of Science. Dr. Pyrak-Nolte holds a B.S. in Engineering Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, an M.S. in Geophysics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Mineral Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the International Society of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and a Fellow of the America Mechanics Rocks Mechanics Association. In 2020 Pyrak-Nolte was awarded the Society of Exploration Geophysicists Reginald Fessenden Award. She is the former President of the International Society of Porous Media, former President of the American Rock Mechanics Association and former Vice-President for North America for the International Society of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. Her research interests include applied geophysics, experimental and theoretical seismic wave propagation, laboratory rock mechanics, micro-fluidics, particle swarms, and fluid flow through Earth materials.

Biography

Ridho Kresna Wattimena (Ridho) is a Rock Mechanics Professor at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia. He is also an Executive Professional Engineer (IPU) in the Indonesian Institute of Engineers (PII). Ridho has been teaching and leading research and consulting projects in the field of rock mechanics for 33 years. In addition to his duties at ITB, Ridho is now a Commissioner in PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (Perminas), which is a state-owned company focusing on Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements. He is also members of International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM), Safety Committee for Bridge and Road Tunnel at Indonesian Ministry of Public Work, and Association of Indonesian Mining Professionals (PERHAPI). Currently, Ridho is the President of Indonesian Rock Mechanics Society (IRMS) and Experts Board members of PII and PERHAPI. Ridho got his BSc in Mining Engineering from ITB, MSc in Geomechanics from ITB, and PhD in Rock Mechanics from University of Queensland, Australia.

Biography

Koji YAMAMOTO is a Senior Councilor and the Chief Technology Officer at the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC). He received his Ph.D. from Tohoku University in 2004, specializing in geomechanics for petroleum engineering. His professional experience spans both the private consulting sector and government organizations, where he has led numerous R&D projects addressing key challenges in petroleum field development. His areas of expertise include hydraulic fracturing, in-situ stress evaluation, deep-well borehole stability, reservoir compaction, and geomechanics related to gas hydrates. In recent years, his focus has expanded to carbon capture and storage (CCS) and low-carbon fuel technologies, and he currently oversees teams engaged in several multinational and international collaborative projects. In addition to his professional duties, Dr. Yamamoto lectures on technical topics at Kyoto University and Kyushu University. He also serves as the Asia-Pacific Regional Director for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

Biography

Dr. Fengshou Zhang is a Cheung Kong Scholar Distinguished Professor at Tongji University, earned his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2012. He has long been engaged in the research of deep engineering geology and rock mechanics. He has published more than 200 papers and received awards such as the XExplore Prize and the China Youth Science and Technology Award. He serves as a Vice President of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (CSRME) and Vice President-at-Large of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM). As the founding Executive Editor-in-Chief, he established the Rock Mechanics Bulletin journal in 2022.

EDUCATIONAL DETAILS

• 1995 ~ 2000: Ph.D. in Rock Mechanics. Seoul National University, Korea
• 1993 ~ 1995: M.Sc. in Rock Mechanics. Seoul National University, Korea
• 1988 ~ 1993: B.Sc. in Mineral & Petroleum Engineering. Seoul National University, Korea

PROFESSIONAL DETAILS

• 2026.1~Present: Vice-President, Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• 2021.9~2023.8: Head, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2021.8~2023.8: Dean, SNU Gwanak Residence Halls, Seoul National University
• 2021.1~ Present: Vice-President, Korean Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
• 2020.1 ~ 2025.12: Vice-President, Korean Society of Explosives and Blasting Engineering
• 2018.3 ~ Present: Full Professor. Department of Energy Systems (Resources) Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2017.3 ~ 2021.2: Director, Research Institute of Energy and Resources, Seoul National University
• 2017.1 ~ 2019.4: Vice-Dean, Gwanak Residence Halls, Seoul National University
• 2015.11~ Present: Member, Underground Nuclear Power Plant Committee, International Society for Rock Mechanics
• 2015.1 ~ 2022.12: Chief-editor, Journal of Korean Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (Tunnel & Underground Space)
• 2009.10 ~ 2018.2: Associate Professor. Department of Energy Systems (Resources) Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2009.9 ~ 2010.8: Visiting Scholar, Pennsylvania State University, USA
• 2008.4 ~ 2022.5: Member, Tunnel Design Advisory Committee, Korean Rail Network Authority
• 2005.9 ~ 2009.9: Assistant Professor. Department of Energy Systems Engineering (2008~). School of Civil, Urban, and Geosystem Engineering (2005-2008), Seoul National University
• 2003.9 ~ 2005.9: Senior Lecturer. School of Civil, Urban, and Geosystem Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2003.4-2003.9: BK21 Assistant Professor. Seoul National University
• 2000.5-2002.5: STA (Science and Technology Agency) Fellow. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan

AWARDS AND HONORS

• 2020.11: Academic Award, Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• 2020.7: Science & Technology Best Paper Award, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies
• 2018.11: Academic Award, Korean Society for Rock Mechanics
• 2014.2: 2013 Outstanding Performance Award, College of Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2012.11: Certificate of Commendation for the contribution to 7th ARMS, Korean Society for Rock Mechanics
• 2012.10: Certificate of Commendation for contribution as a vice-editor of Tunnel & Underground Space, Korean Society for Rock Mechanics
• 2011.12: Certificate of Appreciation for the contribution to Petroleum Academy, Seoul National University
• 2006.6: 2005 Outstanding Lecture Award, College of Engineering, Seoul National University

Biography

Diego Lope Alvarez is a Technical Manager at the Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company (SKB), specializing in rock mechanics and underground engineering for nuclear waste disposal systems. With almost 10 years of experience in the field, he stands at the forefront of global nuclear waste disposal engineering and plays a pivotal role in the planning, design, and construction of Sweden’s deep geological repositories in crystalline rock.
He holds an MSc in Civil Engineering and an Executive MBA. Prior to SKB, he worked at Itasca, focusing on numerical modelling and rock mechanics analyses for underground facilities, tunnels and mines.
Today, his work focuses on the integration of rock mechanical conditions into repository layout, including geomechanical stability, excavation strategies, and construction planning. This ensures that long-term safety requirements are translated into practical and robust engineering solutions. Dedicated to advancing the field, Diego actively contributes to applied research through the Rock Engineering Research Foundation (BeFo), supervises master’s theses, and regularly shares his expertise at national and international forums.
He is currently actively engaged in executing two of the industry’s most significant projects: the underground construction of the Final Repository for Short-Lived Radioactive Waste as well as the ground preparatory works for the Final Repository for Spent Fuel, both located in Forsmark, Sweden.