Sunai Kim

Biography

Contact
Phone: 310.338.5880
Email: sunai [dot] kim [at] lmu [dot] edu
Office: Pereira 130

Dr. Kim is a Fulbright Specialist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, specializing in structural engineering. During her 3-year tenure as a Fulbright Specialist (2019-2022), she will be going on a short term exchange at an international institution. Dr Kim is also a licensed structural engineer with years of industry experience.

Prior to joining LMU in 2017, Dr. Kim worked as a structural engineer at Los Angeles Unified School District (2016-2017), managing school retrofit projects based on AB-300 and developed District-wide acceptance criteria for ASCE41-16 Tier 1/2 analysis. She also worked as a structural design engineer at John A. Martin and Associates for 5 years, working on all aspects of gravity and lateral design/analysis for commercial buildings. Some of her major projects include Soka University Performing Arts Center and Academic Building (concrete and CMU shear walls, long span trusses), USC John McKay Center (column-less basement, transfer level post-tension beams), and the Memphis Pyramid retrofit, among many others. Other work experiences include working as a forensic engineer at Thornton Tomasetti in New York (2014), exploring efficient ways to design tall buildings, as well as working as a transportation engineer at CTE|AECOM in Chicago (2006-2007).

She is currently consulting as a structural plans examiner, to review and to approve residential, commercial, and academic buildings for California (local jurisdictions and DSA) and Hawaii.

Education (3)

University of California, Los Angeles: Ph.D., Structural & Earthquake Engineering 2016

University of California, Los Angeles: M.S., Structural & Earthquake Engineering 2008

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: B.S., Civil Engineering 2006

Social

Areas of Expertise (14)

Structural Engineering

Nonlinear Response History Analysis

Performance-Based Design

Tall RC Core Wall Buildings

Perform 3D

Opensees

Reinforced Concrete

FEM

Selection and Modification of Ground Motions

Monte Carlo Simulations

Statistical Analysis

Quantifying Uncertainties

Component and System Reliability

Structural Codes & Guidelines

Accomplishments (2)

Licensed Civil Engineer (professional)

Dr. Kim is a licensed civil engineer in the states of California and Hawaii.

Licensed Structural Engineer (professional)

Dr. Kim is a licensed structural engineer in the state of California.

Languages (2)

• English
• Korean