January 14, 2025
Expert
Honoring SEI members who have had a lasting impact on the structural engineering profession
Exponent's Brian McDonald, Ph.D., S.E., F.ASCE, has been named a fellow of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI). With more than 30 years' experience at Exponent, and more than 40 years as a structural engineer, Dr. McDonald will serve as mentor to other engineers and help advance the profession through sharing his expertise and knowledge.
SEI was founded as an institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1996 to serve the needs of the structural engineering community and to provide a voice for those engineers on broader issues that shape civil engineering and the built environment. With more than 20,000 members, SEI also provides networking opportunities, facilitates communication between academic and practicing engineers, and helps drive cutting-edge research in structural engineering. The organization advances members' careers, drives technological advancement, and improves professional practice.
"I'm honored to be chosen as a fellow for SEI," said Dr. McDonald. "As I hit the final stretch of my career, my key professional goal is to further the practice of structural engineering by applying the lessons learned from decades of failure investigations through teaching and technical committee work maintaining and updating our codes and standards."
Dr. McDonald specializes in the design and construction of complex structures, structural damage assessment and repair, and quantitative risk assessment of structures exposed to extreme hazards such as earthquakes, wildfires, and climate change. He also has specialized expertise in the design and structural assessment of overhead power transmission lines and cable-supported structures. Recently he has been combining his quantitative risk and utility infrastructure background to help utilities implement risk-informed asset management decisions to reduce failures in general and wildfire ignitions in particular.
Dr. McDonald has held positions in the fields of structural and software design. He has also taught at Stanford University, where he has been an adjunct professor teaching graduate courses in finite element analysis and the performance of structures. Dr. McDonald currently chairs the Dynamic Analysis of Nuclear Structures Committee and is an invited member of the Nuclear Standards Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Dr. McDonald looks forward to working with other SEI Fellows to help members of the engineering profession advance their careers and create a safer and more resilient built environment.
From SEI's Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering:
"The profession is at a critical turning point. Increasing complexity, computer automation, onerous contractual requirements, and global interconnectivity are among the trends that are fundamentally changing the practice of structural engineering. The challenge is to foresee the impacts of these trends in a way that reinforces and expands the critical role of structural engineers in improving the safety and well-being of all. This vision is the basis for a long-term strategy to ensure a vibrant and dynamic future."
