Sam Spearing has held various senior mining academic positions in Australia, China and the United Sates related to the industry. He has been involved directly in the mining industry for many years and has undertaken mining and underground project work in over 40 countries. He therefore has a combination of direct mining, mining supply and academic experience that gives him a broad understanding and perspective of the industry. He has written over 70 peer reviewed journal papers, this is his 4th book that he has authored or co-authored and he has written several chapters in other books. He has co-invented safety and support related products that have been successfully commercialized and most continue to be used internationally. He is involved in mine design, rock mechanics, safety and support with specialized experience in backfilling and shotcrete, as well as training. He has lived and worked on 5 continents. Todd Kostecki has served in engineering roles in mine safety and ground control.

Academically he has taught courses within the mining engineering discipline and holds degrees in civil and mining engineering including a PhD from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has co-authored about twenty publications on various topics related to mining, rock mechanics and strata control.