SEAOSC is pleased to announce that Mikhail Gershfeld, S.E., Professional Practice Professor of Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, will be serving as an incoming SEAOSC board member for the 2024-26 term!
Mikhail's journey into the structural engineering industry is as inspiring as it is unique. Reflecting on his early fascination with the field, he recounted: "I was 12 years old when, during our family visit to a technical bookstore, my father told me to pick a book I wanted to buy. I found a book on structural failures with images and descriptions. I could not believe that these large buildings and bridges could just collapse. I ended up buying that book and have read and re-read it multiple times. Since then, I have wanted to learn why these structures fail and how we can prevent it from happening." This early curiosity laid the foundation for his career, focusing on designing safe and reliable structures.
As a professor at Cal Poly Pomona, Mikhail has a wide range of research interests that reflect his dedication to improving the field of structural engineering. His research areas include Timber Engineering, Earthquake Engineering, Community Resilience, and Interdisciplinary Education.
Offering advice to future engineers, Mikhail emphasized professional integrity: "There will be a time in your engineering practice when your or someone else's poor business decision (low fee, not enough time, not enough personnel, pressure from the customer) might cause you to consider "cutting corners" to accommodate the business situation. My advice is simple: keep business failures from ever impacting the quality of your professional work; draw a bright red line between the two, and once the business decision is made, perform professional work of the highest quality you can."
Mikhail's appointment to the SEAOSC board highlights his expertise and leadership. His commitment to integrity, prevention of structural failures, and diverse research interests inspire current and future engineers. As he takes on this new role, the structural engineering community can look forward to his continued contributions and positive impact.
