Instructors
Kimberly (Kim) Finke Morrison, PE, RG
Kim Morrison is a globally recognized leader and technical expert in the mining industry with nearly 30 years of experience in geotechnical engineering design, operations, and governance of tailings, waste, and water management. She also brings extensive expertise in environmental permitting for mining projects. Currently serving as Adjunct Professor and Interim Director of the Tailings Center at the Colorado School of Mines, Kim is actively shaping the future of tailings engineering education and research. From 2019 to 2024, she was Newmont’s global function lead for tailings, dams, and heap leach facilities in Denver, Colorado, where she oversaw critical infrastructure and led the company’s implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Kim’s influence extends to industry literature as the Managing Editor for the Tailings Management Handbook: A Lifecycle Approach, published by SME, which has become an essential resource for tailings management professionals worldwide.
Tejo Bheemasetti, Ph.D.
Tejo Bheemasetti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Architectural Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Arizona. Prior to joining academia, he worked in the industry as a geotechnical design engineer for hydraulic fill structures, high retaining walls, and ground improvement techniques. He is the recipient of the ASCE James J. Croes Medal for his work on 3D modeling and visualization studies on highly heterogenous hydraulic fill structures. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of standing technical committees on the Embankments, Dams, and Slopes committee; Engineering Geology and Site Characterization; Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering. His work has been sponsored by industry, state and federal agencies and serves as a reviewer for major geomechanics journals.
Joseph Scalia, Ph.D.
Joe Scalia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University specializing in tailings and mine waste research and education. He is the CSU Site Director of the Tailings Center. In 2024, he was the co-chair of the Tailings & Mine Waste (TMW) Conference in Denver, CO, which he will again co-chair TMW in 2026. He has authored over 70 peer reviewed publications and is an associate editor for the Journal of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering and Geotextiles & Geomembranes, as well as an editorial board member of the Canadian Geotechnical Journal and Geosynthetics International. Prior to joining Colorado State University, Joe was a Senior Associate in the Environmental and Earth Science Practice of Exponent.
Terry Braun, PE
With over 30 years of professional experience in mining and environmental projects, he strives to organize and support project teams that tackle technical and non-technical challenges faced by his clients. His professional experience includes over 20 years of experience in TSF characterization and closure design. Since the inception of GISTM, he has supported clients with the investigation, stabilization, and monitoring of legacy TSFs under GISTM audit and compliance programs. He is an adjunct lecturer with the Colorado School of Mines. He is the Chair of the Industry Advisory Board and short course lecturer for the Tailings Center.
