Prasad leads LPA’s structural engineering practice in San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento and is a passionate advocate for advancing women in the engineering profession.
LPA structural engineer and Managing Director Harshda Prasad was recently elected president of the Structural Engineers Association of San Diego (SEAOSD), where she leads efforts to improve industry standards and communication, and the public’s understanding of the profession.
Prasad leads LPA’s structural engineering practice in San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento. In addition to spearheading major civic, education, life science and biotech projects, she works to advance women in the engineering profession. She founded LPA’s Women in Engineering Group and was recently named a Woman of Influence in Engineering by the San Diego Business Journal.
SEAOSD is a component of the Structural Engineers Association of California focused on advancing the science of structural engineering, improving collaboration and communication within the industry, and serving as a public resource for related information. Prasad is a founder of Women in Structural Engineering Group (WISE) for SEAOSD, where she was previously vice president.
Prasad is a proven leader on complex projects, using her technical expertise and experience to help develop innovative and efficient structural strategies that support the larger project goals.
Prasad is a proven leader on complex projects, using her technical expertise and experience to help develop innovative and efficient structural strategies that support the larger project goals. She has led teams on a wide spectrum of steel, concrete, wood and CMU structures, establishing a reputation for collaboration, solving design problems and understanding and interpreting relevant codes.
A LEED accredited professional with a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Texas, Prasad served as a structural engineer early in her career for several major landmark projects. Recently she led the structural design of Mission College Performing Arts Center and the Hamilton High School campus-wide modernization and seismic retrofit. Harshda also plays a key role in LPA’s integrated lab planning discipline, supporting the design of high-performing laboratories in both educational and R&D facilities.
LPA has been the recipient of several design awards from SEAOC. In 2023, LPA’s seismic renovation of a historic building complex at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) earned an Excellence in Structural Engineering (EISE) award. In 2021, LPA received the Excellence Award – New Structures for a major laboratory building, the first project in San Diego to significantly include mass timber.
