2025 Women in Construction: Katherine Rivera, DeSimone Consulting Engineering

What is one project or achievement in your career that you are most proud of, and how did it impact your organization or community?

I’m proud of the ways that I can use my engineering skills to support communities. I teach a graduate-level course on BIM and parametric design at Cooper Union and work with both the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) Student Outreach Committee and the National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA) Public Awareness group to foster stronger connections between engineers and our communities. I’m also co-captain of DeSimone’s Canstruction team, designing sculptures built from food cans to support City Harvest, NY.

What trends or innovations do you believe will shape the future of your field, and how are you positioning yourself (or your firm) to be at the forefront?

The future of structural engineering will be shaped by advancements in technologies like 3D scanning and machine learning. At DeSimone, I’m working on the structural design of the convention center expansion at The Walt Disney World’s Dolphin Resort — in close collaboration with our steel detailing team to meet an accelerated schedule — as well as The Geneva, the largest office-to-residential conversion in Washington D.C. to date. They are the types of projects where we can integrate technologies to drive efficiencies, reduce environmental impact, and create inspiring architectural feats.

Do you have a hidden talent or a surprising fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?

I brought dinosaurs back to life when I helped design a framework for a dinosaur exhibit.