Education

B.S., Magna Cum Laude Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 1997

M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 1998

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. S4809

CA, Civil Engineer, License No. C61655

UT, Structural Engineer, License No. 7272327-2203

CO, Professional Engineer, License No. 0051861

WA, Professional Engineer, License No. 54819

Why did you go into structural engineering?

My father was a construction superintendent, so I was introduced to the dynamics of a construction site at an early age. I was drawn to the creation of structures with a complex series of simple movements and elements. Upon entering UCSD, the description of the Structural Engineering program had me hooked – the ability to affect seemingly limitless structures. When I first got my PE license, I stamped a blank sheet of paper and faxed it to my dad at his job trailer – I think it was a proud moment for both of us.

Little known fact

My wife is a litigation attorney. When asked how many times I’ve been deposed, the official answer is based on my expert witness work, but the unofficial answer is a lot more!

Question of the Day

What’s your favorite way to get to work?

Bicycle – day or night, rain or shine. It’s a wonderful way to experience the city and enjoy a bit of exercise to start and end the day.

Education

M.S., Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, 1988
B.S., Civil Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, India, 1986

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. S4583
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. C53916

Little Known Fact

I had a life dream of being a cricket star before settling on the exciting life of an engineer in California.

Education

M.S., Structural Engineering, University of Illinois, 2003
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, 2001

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5305
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 68913
WA, Civil Engineer, License No. 44835

Little Known Fact

I have climbed three of the five volcanoes in Washington: Mount Baker (10,781 ft), Mount Adams (12,276 ft), and Mount Rainier (14,411 ft). Still on the list: Mount St. Helens (8365 ft) and Glacier Peak (10,541 ft).

Why did you go into Earthquake Engineering?

During graduate school I travelled to Taipei, Taiwan as part of a reconnaissance trip after the 1999 Chi Chi earthquake. Observing the damage firsthand led me to focus my career on reducing the impact of future earthquakes.

Question of the Day

What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?

I would definitely get into private aviation and have a small plane to travel up and down the West Coast with my family. There are so many beautiful areas to explore and what better way to see them than from the sky!

Education

B.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2007
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2008

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5946
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 75942
LEED Accredited Professional

Why did you go into structural engineering?

Heading into college, engineering was always something that I was interested in. My father was a small residential contractor and the idea of using math and science to design and build real world structures seemed like a lot of fun. One of my first engineering classes we got to crush concrete and pull apart samples of different materials to understand their properties. I was hooked after building a concrete canoe and applying these material principles I learned in class to compete against other schools in the ASCE conference.

Education

B.S., Civil Engineering, UC Davis, 2003

M.S., Civil Engineering, UC San Diego, 2005

Registration

CA, Structural Engineering, License No. 5552

CA, Civil Engineering, License No. 71487

Why did you go into Structural Engineering?

Early on I realized I was a problem solver. Before college, I narrowed it down to two professions: medicine and engineering. I concluded that above all else, I enjoyed mathematics and analytical thinking. I’ve always gotten great satisfaction from managing and seeing a project through from beginning to end, and I prefer being part of a team where the diverse skills and strengths of our team members complement one another.

Little Known Fact

I taught Statics and Concrete Design courses at Portland State University.

Question of the Day

What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?

Soaring (also known as flying a glider or sailplane).

Education

M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1991

B.S., Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1989

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 4107

CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 49972

Why did you go into structural engineering?

I originally wanted to be an architect.  My dad was a structural engineer and he used to teach classes at UC Berkeley’s School of Architecture. I would occasionally go with him.  I really liked seeing how things were put together.  Dad insisted that I go into structural engineering.  It’s been a great career.  I still get to work around wonderful architects and I really understand how to put things together.

Little Known Fact

One of my bucket list items is to do a triathlon.  I’m an avid swimmer, so I just need to get the other two.

Question of the Day

What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?

I’d either be a quilter on Etsy or write crossword puzzles.

Education

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2008

M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2006

B.S., Civil Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, 2001

Registration

CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 77087

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5892

TX, Civil Engineer, License No. 103609

Why did you go into structural engineering?

Great Hanshin Earthquake and Sampoong Department Store Collapse in 1995.
Concrete bridges designed by Robert Maillard.

Little Known Fact

I was one of the documentary photographers recording the life of migrant workers in South Korea and directed a photography exhibition on their life and culture.

Question of the Day

What’s your favorite band?

Radiohead.

Education

M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1991

B.S., Civil Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1988

Registration

CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 3933

CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 47347

Why did you go into structural engineering?

I had an ‘aha’ moment in a second year mechanics of materials class taught by Mr. Robert Craig in the Civil Engineering Department at Cal Poly.  It was a challenging class, but the way he taught it from a practicing engineer perspective forced me to really understand the fundamentals, and more importantly, for the first time in my academics the technical material was directly linked to real life situations.  That was inspiring and drove my curiosity in the direction towards structural engineering.

Little Known Fact:

I was born in Norway.  After graduation from University of Oslo, my father brought the family of four for a three week vacation and we never left.  I have brought my family of five to visit relatives several times over the years and we thoroughly enjoy the natural beauty of the country, family traditions, and boat trips to the islands on long summer nights.  It’s amazing how connected we can be while so far away.

Question of the Day

What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?

Travel and garden.  With our third child now in his second year at UCSB, Mary and I are empty nesters and have much more available time.  We took advantage last summer and traveled to Prague, Florence and Rome for the first time.  We will still focus our fall on water polo enjoying the camaraderie with other parents travelling to support UCSB.  Go Gauchos!!