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ON THE MOVE BECHTEL EXECUTIVE ELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Bechtel senior vice president Barbara Rusinko has been elected to the 2018 class of the National Academy of Engineering, the organization has announced. Rusinko becomes the first woman from Bechtel to receive the honor and the 17th in the company’s 120-year history. Rusinko is currently president of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security, and Environmental global business unit, with responsibility for more than 5,000 employees at more than a dozen project sites in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and other locations including complex, first-of-a- kind megaprojects. “Barb has been a great example for an entire generation of engineers in this company,” said Brendan Bechtel, chairman and chief executive officer. “She is an exceptional engineer and mentor throughout Bechtel. We are all very proud of her for receiving this outstanding recognition.” In an announcement earlier this month, the Academy said, “Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or

education … and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.” The academy now has 2,293 U.S. members and 262 foreign members. SERGEI TERZAGHI NAMED AMERICAS GEOTECHNICAL SKILLS LEADER FOR ARUP Arup , the design and consulting firm for the built environment, announced that Sergei Terzaghi has been appointed the Americas geotechnical leader, working out of the firm’s Los Angeles office. Sergei will also serve as a principal for the office. Andy Howard, chairman of the Americas Region, said, “Sergei is one of the world’s foremost geotechnical engineers. We are delighted to add his industry leading talent to our team.” “I’m honored to join the Arup team here on the West Coast,” Sergei said. “Geotechnical engineering is a vital and growing discipline – especially in this region – and I’m looking forward to bringing my passion and expertise in this field to the Americas region.” Sergei has more than 30 years’ of experience in the geotechnical field. His work encompasses

the full breadth of geotechnical engineering including desktop studies, investigation, analysis, design and construction input for highways, tunnels, railways, pipelines (onshore and offshore), embankments, dams, marine/offshore projects and foundations and excavations for a vast range of structures including tanks through to large multi-story buildings. Prior to coming to Los Angeles, Sergei spent more than eight years in Arup’s Sydney office as a senior associate and then as a principal. There, he worked on a wide range of projects throughout Australia and Asia, including the Thomson Eastern Rail Line in Singapore; the Northern Connector Freeway in Adelaide; multiple sections of the Pacific Highway Upgrade in New South Wales, Australia; and Pump Station 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Geotechnical engineering is a family affair for Sergei; his grandfather, Karl von Terzaghi, is known as “The Father of Soil Mechanics.” Before his time at Arup, Sergei served as senior associate at Sinclair Knight Merz, a senior engineer at URS Grenier Woodward- Clyde and senior geotechnical engineer at Murray North. Sergei received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

YUKARI YAMAHIRO, from page 3

address risks, and make decisions. They also emphasized restoring boundaries to reduce distractions and noise while promoting productivity and willingness to engage (but only when ready) with others. The result is the Sun Life’s transformative Ignite Studio. Beyond promoting brand identity, the vibrant new space encourages collaboration by fostering community. Employees can work in a variety of spaces: open or enclosed, collaborative or focused, formal or informal, depending on workstyles and the nature of their work. The firm’s technologies are displayed throughout the space, from the entry tech-display bar to television screens. The space endorses creativity, with an abundance of functional walls for writing and drawing. Almost every surface is meant for opportunities to create and foster innovation for clients. All desks, including those in meeting rooms, are adjustable sit-stand desks. Even minor details – like the distance of a sit-stand desk from the writeable wall of a conference room – promote a more

whose only “fit” comes from shared values and who add that special something. The industry norms are no longer so applicable. We as designers also play an increasingly prominent role in supporting cultural contributions, and we’re always happy to work with companies that share our objectives. One such company is Sun Life, which is rethinking the traditional approach to insurance and financial services. Its leaders wanted to move away from traditional, fit- based hiring norms and toward an environment based on celebrating its employees. “Innovation drives advancement but the push for innovation doesn’t always come easily. One of the biggest factors is a critical mass of energized and happy staff members, all united by a shared understanding of the company’s goals.” Sun Life recognized the strength of “cultural add” in creating space in their new global home at One York Street in Toronto. Working with designers from our Toronto office, Sun Life pushed for a space that would empower employees with different backgrounds and working styles, allowing them control over how they share ideas,

active, inclusive, and collaborative environment. Innovation drives advancement but the push for

innovation doesn’t always come easily. One of the biggest factors is a critical mass of energized and happy staff members, all united by a shared understanding of the company’s goals. Who wouldn’t want to add themselves to that company? YUKARI YAMAHIRO is a data knowledge manager at Perkins+Will. She can be reached at yukari.yamahiro@perkinswill.com

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 23, 2018, ISSUE 1245

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