Luis Alberto Torres Cruz: Assistant Professor at Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, UBC Faculty of Applied Science

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Applied Science

Research Classification

Geotechnical engineering

Mining engineering

Research Interests

Geotechnical stability of Tailings Storage Facilities

Tailings management

Geotechnical engineering

Remote sensing of tailings facilities

In situ and laboratory geotechnical testing

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

View all programs

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).

I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.

Open All

Research Methodology

Optical and radar satellite images

Slope stability analyses

In situ geotechnical testing

Laboratory geotechnical testing

Recruitment

Looking to recruit:

Master's students

Doctoral students

Postdoctoral Fellows

Desired start dates: Any time / year round

Potential research project areas:

Development of quick and inexpensive index tests to perform initial estimates of the mechanical properties of soils
Use of drained and undrained vane shear tests to characterize the in situ mechanical behavior of tailings
Development of robust techniques to extrapolate incomplete results of pore water pressure dissipation tests performed during CPTs
Comparison between satellite based and ground based measurements of deformations in tailings storage facilities
The effect of fabric and layering on the mechanical behavior of tailings

Ideal Applicant Profile:

Characteristics of an ideal applicant:

Genuinely curious about how things work
Eager to ask basic/fundamental research questions
Willing to challenge the assumptions that are generally taken for granted
Gets excited about learning opportunities
Respectful and supportive of everyone
Understands that research involves both accomplishments and setbacks
Has interests that expand beyond mining/geotechnical engineering
Has a solid grasp on written and oral communication in English
Pays close attention to detail
Has a degree in engineering or in an engineering-related field
Enjoys learning mathematics, coding and logic
Values hard work and consistency

Please note that I advertise PG positions via my LinkedIn profile among other channels. Please follow me on LinkedIn as Luis Alberto Torres-Cruz so that you can see my calls for applications.

Thank you for your interest in my supervision!

Other options:

I support public scholarship, e.g. through the Public Scholars Initiative, and am available to supervise students and Postdocs interested in collaborating with external partners as part of their research.

I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).

I am interested in supervising students to conduct interdisciplinary research.

Complete these steps before you reach out to a faculty member!

Check requirements

Familiarize yourself with program requirements. You want to learn as much as possible from the information available to you before you reach out to a faculty member. Be sure to visit the graduate degree program listing and program-specific websites.
Check whether the program requires you to seek commitment from a supervisor prior to submitting an application. For some programs this is an essential step while others match successful applicants with faculty members within the first year of study. This is either indicated in the program profile under "Admission Information & Requirements" - "Prepare Application" - "Supervision" or on the program website.

Focus your search

Identify specific faculty members who are conducting research in your specific area of interest.
Establish that your research interests align with the faculty member’s research interests.
- Read up on the faculty members in the program and the research being conducted in the department.
- Familiarize yourself with their work, read their recent publications and past theses/dissertations that they supervised. Be certain that their research is indeed what you are hoping to study.

Make a good impression

Compose an error-free and grammatically correct email addressed to your specifically targeted faculty member, and remember to use their correct titles.
- Do not send non-specific, mass emails to everyone in the department hoping for a match.
- Address the faculty members by name. Your contact should be genuine rather than generic.
Include a brief outline of your academic background, why you are interested in working with the faculty member, and what experience you could bring to the department. The supervision enquiry form guides you with targeted questions. Ensure to craft compelling answers to these questions.
Highlight your achievements and why you are a top student. Faculty members receive dozens of requests from prospective students and you may have less than 30 seconds to pique someone’s interest.
Demonstrate that you are familiar with their research:
- Convey the specific ways you are a good fit for the program.
- Convey the specific ways the program/lab/faculty member is a good fit for the research you are interested in/already conducting.
Be enthusiastic, but don’t overdo it.

Attend an information session

G+PS regularly provides virtual sessions that focus on admission requirements and procedures and tips how to improve your application.

ADVICE AND INSIGHTS FROM UBC FACULTY ON REACHING OUT TO SUPERVISORS

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a potential thesis supervisor.

Supervision Enquiry

If you have reviewed some of this faculty member's publications, understand their research interests and have reviewed the admission requirements, you may .