As an intern at a mining consulting company, I received in-depth training in software and guidelines for open pit mine design and planning, including Deswik, Vulcan, and Alastri. I assisted with revising and generating reports for the long-term planning model in Alastri for various mining projects of a major iron ore company. Additionally, I supported and participated in several training courses focused on pit design and haulage scheduling for open-pit mines. Currently, as a PhD candidate in applied optimization and optimal control, this practical experience has inspired me to develop a computational approach for determining ultimate pit limits using numerical optimal control techniques.

As a vacation student in the Mine Planning Department, I assisted with preparing short- and long-term plans for a lithium mine site, utilizing Deswik and Alastri software. My responsibilities included supporting the life-of-mine plan, revising the 3-year plan, modifying pit designs, and updating the 3-month operational plan, which strengthened my understanding of mine planning concepts and design principles, as well as my teamwork and communication skills in coordinating design adjustments across teams. Currently, as a PhD candidate focusing on optimization and optimal control techniques for industrial applications, this hands-on experience in mine planning and design has inspired new possibilities for integrating optimal control techniques into strategic mine planning processes.