E. Balladares received the Engineering degree in civil metallurgical engineering from the University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile, in 1994, and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Concepción, in 2004 and 2008, respectively. He has been a Faculty Member of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Concepción, since 2008. His research interest includes chemical metallurgy, with a special focus on high temperature, complex materials treatment, and the control of metallurgical processes. He is a member of the Society of Mining Professors, the Chilean Society of Engineering Education, and The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.