Marcello M. Veiga is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Mining Engineering at UBC. Over his twenty-five-year academic career, he participated in more than sixty-five international projects on mercury pollution and artisanal gold mining, and published more than 300 research papers with his graduate students. Prior to working at UBC, he spent two decades working for Brazilian mining companies. Today, he is still researching and teaching social and environmental issues in mining, working with NGOs, universities, governments, companies and international agencies to understand how mining can reduce the impacts of poverty in developing nations around the world.
J. Alejandro Delgado-Jimenez is a mining engineer and researcher who holds a PhD in Earth Resources Development Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He specializes in the sustainability of the mining industry, and the environmental, social, economic and governance aspects that shape relationships between mining operations and local communities. Alejandro has worked with multidisciplinary teams promoting sustainable mining practices through teaching, consulting, research, and the translation of knowledge into practical applications within the mining sector. He has received several scholarships, including the Australian Leadership Program, the Canadian Emerging Leaders of the Americas, and a fellowship in the PIRE program from the United States National Science Foundation.