Faculty Directory

Biography

Dr. H. Sebnem Düzgün is a full professor, Fred Banfield Distinguished Chair, and Associate Department Head of Mining Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. In addition, she has a joint appointment with the Department of Computer Science. She is the associate director of the GIS and Geoinformatics program and coordinator of the geoscience section of the Data Science program. She also leads the mineral supply chain pillar of the Mines Global Future Initiative (GEFI).

Dr. Düzgün obtained her Ph.D. in mining engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, in 2000. She held a visiting scholar position at MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1998 to 1999, supported by a NATO grant. In 2001, she was appointed as an assistant professor in the Geodetic and Geographic Information Technologies Program at METU. From 2004 to 2005, the Norwegian Research Council provided support for her research while she served as a postdoctoral scholar at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and International Center for Geohazards. In 2006, she resumed her position at the Department of Mining Engineering at METU as an associate professor. Four years later, in 2010, she achieved the rank of full professor. In 2014, Dr. Düzgün was awarded the experienced researcher grant by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This grant allowed her to conduct research at the Geophysical Institute at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany from 2015 to 2016. Since 2017, she has been a Colorado School of Mines faculty member.

With over 25 years of experience in research, teaching, and consulting, she possesses extensive expertise in geosciences, resources engineering, and information technologies. Dr. Düzgün specializes in a wide range of areas, including systems dynamics modeling, systems safety, mineral supply chains resiliency and transparency, decarbonization and net zero carbon strategies, sustainability, big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, GIS, remote sensing, information fusion, risk, and safety analysis, mine environmental monitoring, autonomous operations, IoT and cyber security and workforce development in mining.

Dr. Düzgün has authored four books, eleven book chapters, ninety scientific journal articles, over two hundred conference papers, and numerous technical reports. She is the author of the book "Remote Sensing of the Mine Environment." She has been recognized as one of the 100 Globally Inspiring Women in Mining for the 2020 Edition. She was appointed one of the 100 Resilience Fellows in the Engineering Program at TU Delft, organized by the 4TU-Resilience Federation. She has been selected as the Newmont STEM Equity Instructional Fellow, the Mines' University Public Fellow, and the Elates Fellow at Drexel University, where she completed the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering, and Science (ELATES) program. She is also the founder of a startup company that specializes in providing AI-based solutions for resource exploration.

Education

• B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D., Mining Engineering Middle East Technical University
• Diploma in Analysis and Management of Geological Risks CERG’99, University of Geneva

Research

• VR and Gaming for Earth Sciences
• Uncertainty Analysis and Risk Assessment for Rock Slopes
• Mine Environmental Monitoring
• Interdisciplinary Research Profile
• Infrastructure Resilience

Publications

Publications

Speaking & Conferences

• Keynote Speech ARMA 2018 Seattle
• Award-D4R-Data for Refugees Challenge International Competition
• Using the ASD FieldSpec® for Monitoring the Mine Environment (Webinar)

Additional Information

Curriculum Vitae

Visual CV

Website

Courses Taught

• MNGN 428/429 Senior Design
• MNGN 548 Information Technologies for Mining Systems (Online)
• MNGN598 Autonomous Robotic Exploration System Design,
• MNGN 598 Big Data Analytics for Earth Resources Sciences and Engineering