the honorary editor

About the Honorary Editor

Dr. C.O. Brawner is a well-known and respected expert worldwide for more than 50 years in open-pit mining and geotechnical engineering. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Dalhousie University in May 2014 for his outstanding contributions in his profession. He is an authority on surface slope stability and tailings dam design. His advice was always grounded in a desire to protect the safety of people, property and the environment. Dr. Brawner has made significant contributions to his profession, which have been recognized by many awards from North American engineering and mining organizations. He has been awarded fellowships from the Engineering Institute of Canada, the CIM and the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and in 2008 he was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.

Dr. Brawner graduated in 1953 with a B.Eng. from University of Manitoba and received his M.Sc. in soil mechanics in 1958 from the then Nova Scotia Technical College (now part of Dalhousie). In the 10 years working for the Department of Highway of British Columbia, Dr. Brawner involved in several projects in major Trans-Canada highway expansion and gained valuable experience in the mountainous terrain. He then co-founded and became the president of Golder Brawner and Associates, which evolved into Golder Associates, a global geotechnical consulting firm today with multi-disciplinary expertise, over 8000 employees and some 180 offices around the world. In 1978 he was appointed a Professor of Mining Engineering in University of BC where he inspired hundreds of engineering students. During his career, Dr. Brawner published dozens of technical papers, delivered numerous lectures at more than 90 universities and institutes, edited 10 major geotechnical books published by SME, served on numerous technical committees and chaired important industry conferences.