2020 Ones to Watch: Richard Tran, LERA Consulting Structural Engineers

Name: Richard Tran

Company: LERA Consulting Structural Engineers 

Title: Design Engineer

Education: Pennsylvania State University

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
A demolition project of an airport was a game-changer towards the advancement of my career. It was the first project where I was the project manager. Before I had only been working as an engineer and only had the understanding of the task at hand. Being a project manager allows me to work with the architect and coordinate with other disciplines. It was also the first demolition project that I had worked on. It challenged me to produce drawings where I had to deconstruct the building while maintaining the stability of the structure ensuring no unexpected collapses.

What led you to your current profession?
At a young age, I wanted to become an architect to understand how buildings are constructed. What lead me to pursue architectural engineering is my love of math and science. Structural engineering, a subset of architectural and civil engineering, in my opinion, is a profession that is critical to architecture while utilizing much math and science. Projects that I may have the opportunity to work on may still be standing well after I passed away. It will be my way to leave a mark on this planet.