2026

2026/10 – Wenbo Zheng Appointed Canada Research Chair
Wenbo Zheng was appointed Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Geomechanics of Subsurface Systems for Energy and Hazard Resilience at UNBC, effective September 1, 2026. The research program focuses on advancing the understanding and prediction of deformation, fracturing, and coupled hydro-mechanical processes in subsurface rock systems.
https://www.unbc.ca/our-stories/story/new-canada-research-chair-appointed-unbc

2026/09 – Presentations at GeoQuébec 2026
Wenbo delivered an invited presentation at GeoQuébec 2026 in a special session on artificial intelligence and machine learning in geotechnical engineering. The session brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss the applications and appropriate use of emerging data-driven methods in geotechnical practice. Wenbo also delivered another presentation on deformation and run-out behaviours of bench-scale slope failures at a steep open pit.

2026/05 – Celebrating Our Graduate Students at UNBC Convocation
We celebrated the graduation of three research group members at UNBC’s May 2026 convocation, including one PhD (Dr. Huan Yu!) and two MASc graduates (Emmanuel and Cornelius). Congratulations to our graduates on this important achievement, and best wishes for their future careers!

2026/01 – New PhD Students Join Our Research Group
We welcomed three new PhD students to our research group in January 2026. Their research focuses on the geotechnical, hydrological, and monitoring aspects of tailings storage facilities through a collaborative Mitacs-supported research project.

2025

2025/12 – Huan Successfully Defends Her PhD Dissertation
Huan successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at UNBC, becoming the first PhD graduate from our research group at UNBC. She now works for an engineering consulting firm in Prince George. Congratulations, Huan!

2025/10 – Invited Presentation on Machine Learning for Slope Deformation Prediction
Wenbo delivered an invited presentation titled “Understanding and Predicting Slope Deformation with Machine Learning and Monitoring Data” to the BC Society of Engineering and Geoscience.

2025/09 – Research Presentation at GeoManitoba 2025
Wenbo presented research titled “Temperature Effect on Rock Mechanical Properties of Canadian Gas Shale Using Instrumented Indentation Testing” at the GeoManitoba Conference.

2025/08 – Two Technical Presentations at RockEng 2025
Wenbo delivered two technical presentations at RockEng 2025: “Open Pit Slope Deformation Prediction Using Machine Learning and Multi-Source Field Data” and “Experimental Characterization of Time-Dependent Behavior of Tight Laminated Rock Formations from Canadian Shale Gas Plays.”

2025/07 – Two Journal Publications on Geothermal Mineral Scaling
Two journal papers led by Kamran were accepted for publication: “Experimental Study on Mineral Precipitation Prediction and Mitigation for Geothermal Fluids in Clarke Lake Field in British Columbia, Canada” in Geothermics, and “A Review of Recent Advances in Mineral Scaling in Geothermal Energy Systems: Mechanisms, Mitigation, and Case Studies” in Environmental Earth Sciences. Congratulations, Kamran!

2025/07 – Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
Wenbo received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor at UNBC, effective July 1, 2025. Many thanks to the current and former research group members whose contributions have supported the group’s development.

2025/05 – UNBC University Excellence in Research Award
Wenbo received the UNBC University Excellence in Research Award in recognition of his research contributions. This achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of current and former research group members.

2025/05 – Research on Time-Dependent Rock Behaviour Published in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
Huan published our research titled “Time-Dependent Behavior of Tight Laminated Rock Formations from Canadian Shale Gas Plays: Laboratory Testing and Constitutive Modelling” in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.

2025/04 – Academic Research Visits to Universities in China
Wenbo visited Sun Yat-sen University, Tongji University, and China University of Geosciences, where he delivered research seminars and exchanged ideas with academic collaborators.

2025/04 – NSERC Alliance Grant for Flow Slide Research
Wenbo received an NSERC Alliance Grant to collaborate with the BC Ministry of Forests on research into flow slides over a four-year period.

2025/04 – Mitacs Accelerate Cluster Award for Tailings Storage Facility Research
Wenbo and Prof. Dziedzic received a Mitacs Accelerate Cluster award to collaborate with a local mine on the geotechnical and hydrological behaviour of tailings storage facilities. The three-year project will support the training of three PhD research interns.

2025/02 – CFI–BCKDF Funding for Rock Mechanics Laboratory Infrastructure
Wenbo received more than $300,000 in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) to develop enhanced rock mechanics research infrastructure at UNBC.

2024

2024/12 – NSERC Alliance International Collaboration with Leibniz University Hannover
Wenbo received an NSERC Alliance International grant to collaborate with Prof. Xiaoying Zhuang at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, on hydraulic fracturing simulations.

2024/11 – Research Publications on CFD–DEM Modelling of Granular Materials
During his research visit, Gaoyang contributed to several journal publications investigating fluid–particle interactions and granular material behaviour using advanced CFD–DEM modelling. These included studies on internal erosion in gap-graded soils, machine learning-based drag modelling, and granular sedimentation involving realistic particle shapes, published in journals including Computers and Geotechnics, Géotechnique, and Acta Geotechnica. Excellent work, Gaoyang!

2024/09 – Research Presentations at the Canadian Geotechnical Conference
Gaoyang and Huan presented their research at the annual Canadian Geotechnical Conference in Montreal. Their presentations addressed CFD–DEM modelling of irregularly shaped granular soils and instrumented indentation testing for rock mechanical characterization. Gaoyang also received university travel funding to support his participation.

2024/06 – Kamran Successfully Defends His Master’s Thesis
Kamran successfully defended his master’s thesis at UNBC and subsequently began PhD studies at Simon Fraser University with a full scholarship. Congratulations, Kamran!

2024/06 – Montney Rock Indentation Research Published in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
Huan published our research on the influence of mineralogical characteristics on the mechanical properties of Montney tight formations using instrumented indentation and SEM–EDS analysis in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. Read the publication.

2024/05 – Mitacs Globalink Research Intern Joins the Group
Leila joined our research group as a Mitacs Globalink summer research intern to investigate the effects of elevated temperatures on the mechanical properties of Montney rock using instrumented indentation testing.

2024/05 – LBM–DEM Research Published in Computers and Geotechnics
Hassan published our research on coupled lattice Boltzmann and discrete element modelling of fluid interactions with irregularly shaped particles in Computers and Geotechnics. The study contributes to understanding particle shape effects in geotechnical processes, including internal erosion. Read the publication.

2024/05 – Research Presentation at CIM Connect 2024
Emmanuel presented our research titled “Prediction of Open Pit Wall Deformation Using Machine Learning and Multi-Source Field Data” at CIM Connect in Vancouver. We gratefully acknowledge Gibraltar Mines for supporting the research and the UNBC Research Office for providing a student travel grant.

2024/04 – Hassan Becomes Our First UNBC Graduate
Hassan successfully defended his master’s thesis at UNBC, becoming the first graduate student to complete a degree under Wenbo’s supervision at UNBC. He subsequently began working as an Engineer-in-Training in Prince George. Congratulations, Hassan!

2024/02 – Invited NRESi Colloquium on Montney Rock Mechanics
Wenbo delivered a research presentation on Montney rock mechanics and fracture conductivity at the UNBC Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) Colloquium. Watch the recorded presentation.

2023

2023/11 – International Visiting Researchers Join Our Group
Dr. Yan Wang and PhD student Gaoyang Hu joined our research group for one-year research visits, strengthening international research collaboration in geotechnical engineering and computational modelling.

2023/10 – Research Presentations at GeoSaskatoon
Wenbo attended the annual Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GeoSaskatoon, and delivered two technical presentations.

2023/06 – NSERC Alliance International Collaboration with UNSW
Wenbo received an NSERC Alliance International grant to collaborate with Dr. Adnan Sufia at the University of New South Wales, Australia, on coupled DEM–LBM modelling of soil erosion.

2023/05 – Mitacs Globalink Research Intern from Tunisia
Dorsaf joined our research group from Tunisia for a 12-week summer research internship, focusing on instrumented indentation testing of Montney rock.

2023/05 – New MASc Student Joins Industry-Collaborative Research Project
Emmanuel joined our research group as an MASc student to investigate open-pit wall deformation using field monitoring data and machine learning through a Mitacs Accelerate research project with Gibraltar Mines.

2022

2022/11 – Collaborative Research Published in International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences|
A collaborative paper titled “Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Simulations of Fracturing in Granite Under High Temperature and High-Pressure Treatment via Peridynamic,” co-authored by visiting student Yang Zhang, was published in the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. Read the publication.

2022/10 – Research Presentations at GeoCalgary
Huan and Wenbo attended the annual Canadian Geotechnical Conference, GeoCalgary. Huan presented research on the effects of mineralogical composition on Montney siltstone mechanical properties using micro-indentation and SEM–EDS analysis. Wenbo chaired two technical sessions and participated in Canadian Geotechnical Society division meetings.

2022/09 – Visiting PhD Researcher from the University of Queensland
Siva, a PhD candidate from the University of Queensland, Australia, joined our research group for a 12-week visit supported by the Mitacs Globalink Research Award.

2022/08 – Collaborative Research on Soil Suffusion Accepted for Publication
A collaborative manuscript titled “Suffusion of Gap-Graded Soil with Realistically Shaped Coarse Grains: A DEM–DFM Numerical Study,” led by Dr. Fengshou Zhang and Tuo Wang at Tongji University, was accepted for publication in the International Journal of Geomechanics.

2022/06 – NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant Awarded
Wenbo and co-investigators Drs. Matt Reid and Jueyi Sui received an NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grant to acquire a versatile mechanical testing system for characterizing the engineering behaviour of materials, including rock and timber. The proposal was among nine successful awards nationwide in the Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering evaluation group.

2022/03 – Student Research Presentation Awards at UNBC
Hassan and Huan received first and second place, respectively, in the Faculty of Science and Engineering student research presentation session during UNBC Research Week. Congratulations to both!

2022/02 – NSERC Alliance International Collaboration with Monash University
Wenbo received an NSERC Alliance International grant to collaborate with Prof. Ranjith Pathegama Gamage at Monash University, Australia, on repurposing hydrocarbon formations for geothermal utilization.

2022/02 – Undergraduate Research on Sand Proppant Deformation Published
Research on time-dependent sand proppant deformation conducted by UNBC undergraduate researchers Diego and Drew was accepted for publication in Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources. Congratulations to both students on this achievement! Read the publication.

2021

2021/12 – Outstanding Reviewer Award
Wenbo received an Outstanding Reviewer Award from the International Journal of Mining Science and Technology (Elsevier).

2021/10 – UNBC Research Project Award for Montney Rock Research
Huan received a UNBC Research Project Award to support her research on instrumented indentation testing of Montney siltstone.

2021/10 – Professional Service with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
Wenbo began serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the Northern BC Section of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.

2021/06 – First NSERC Discovery Grant Awarded
Wenbo received his first NSERC Discovery Grant for the research program “Improving Characterization and Modelling of the Rock–Proppant Interaction in Hydraulic Fractures for Deep-Earth Geo-Resource Extraction.” This funding supported the development of the group’s research program in rock mechanics and subsurface geomechanics at UNBC. Read the news coverage.

2021/05 – Canadian Geotechnical Society Rock Mechanics Division
Wenbo began serving on the Rock Mechanics Division Committee of the Canadian Geotechnical Society.

2021/03 – Research on Sand Grain Morphology and Hydraulic Conductivity Published
Our research titled “Quantifying the Influence of Grain Morphology on Sand Hydraulic Conductivity: A Detailed Pore-Scale Study” was published in Computers and Geotechnics.

2021/02 – Canadian Geotechnical Society Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division
Wenbo began serving on the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division Committee of the Canadian Geotechnical Society.