On Monday, April 16th, CSI President and CEO Ashraf Habibullah addressed the faculty and students of the UC Berkeley Structural Engineering Department. He presented an informative talk covering a wide range of topics associated with the structural engineering profession.

He emphasized the need to create a mainstream appreciation for the profession by leveraging the powerful positive social and economic aspects of structural engineering. He talked about the importance of image and perception and what it takes to create an impact in a competitive global economy. He also discussed the oft-overlooked artistic aspects of engineering and how his association with the arts has helped to create a unique corporate image for CSI.

“We must recognize that it is because of structural engineering that the world’s most majestic monuments—monuments that reflect the grandeur of humanity—are standing today. We are members of a profession that can, unquestionably, be credited with saving millions of lives, preserving the past and building the future,” he said.

The packed audience included structural engineering faculty members Edward Wilson, Anil Chopra, Jerome Sackman, James Kelly, Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, Jack Moehle, Gregory Fenves and Yousef Bozorgnia.

Jack Moehle, Director of UC Berkeley’s Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center remarked, “Ashraf’s presentation made the point I knew he could deliver so well: That the structural engineer has an important—and often overlooked—role in the community and in society.”

“My students were energized by Ashraf’s talk. It is rare that they get a glimpse into the life a structural engineer who is running a successful business in the real world,” said Professor Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley.

The roots of CSI’s flagship products, SAP2000 and ETABS, are traceable to UC Berkeley. Ashraf founded CSI in 1975 after graduating from UC Berkeley in 1970 with a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering. Research and development by Professor Edward Wilson produced the original versions of SAP and ETABS in the early 1970s. Today, with users in over 160 countries, CSI is recognized as the international leader in the field of software for structural and earthquake engineering. Ashraf recognized his close association with many of the faculty members in the audience, specifically Dr. Wilson, and acknowledged their contributions to the success of CSI.