About Me
Biography
Ruchi Shrestha is a Staff Geotechnical Engineer II at GeoEngineers Inc., based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she works on transportation, coastal, and industrial infrastructure projects. Her work involves detailed subsurface investigations, laboratory data interpretation, and geotechnical analyses that support safe and efficient design of foundations, embankments, and coastal systems.
At GeoEngineers, Ruchi coordinates drilling and testing operations, develops geotechnical design profiles, and performs analyses including slope stability, bearing capacity, settlement, pile design, and CPT interpretation. Through this work, she has developed a strong appreciation for how complex soil–structure interactions can be better understood through data-driven insights and modeling.
Ruchi completed her Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) at Boise State University, where her research focused on Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) as a sustainable soil stabilization technique. She also served as a Teaching Assistant, guiding students in courses such as Soil Mechanics, Construction Materials, and Computational Methods.
Before graduate school, she worked as a Civil Engineer at CE Construction Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu, Nepal, gaining field and design experience in residential and commercial projects.
Motivated by her professional and academic experiences, Ruchi now seeks to pursue doctoral research that explores the computational and data-driven aspects of geotechnical engineering—bridging physical understanding of soils with emerging analytical and modeling approaches to address modern infrastructure challenges.
Contact Information
- Email: ruchieshrestha7@gmail.com
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
- ORCID: 0000-0000-0000-0000
Education
MSc in Geotechnical Engineering
Boise State University, Boise, ID
GPA: 3.9/4.0
Master's thesis on 'Study of Dry Mixing Method to Apply Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation for Soil Treatment'.
BSc in Civil Engineering
Tribhuvan University, Kathmand, Nepal
GPA: 77
Capstone project on sustainable bridge design. Focus on structural mechanics, materials science, and transportation engineering. Dean's List all semesters.
Experience
Research Assistant
MIT Structural Engineering Lab, Cambridge, MA
Conducted research on structural health monitoring systems using machine learning and IoT sensors. Responsibilities included:
• Developed deep learning models for damage detection achieving 95% accuracy
• Designed and deployed wireless sensor networks on bridge structures
• Published 3 journal papers and 2 conference papers
• Mentored 2 undergraduate research assistants
• Collaborated with Department of Transportation on field testing
Structural Engineering Intern
AECOM, San Francisco, CA
Worked on design and analysis of commercial and residential buildings. Key contributions:
• Performed structural analysis using SAP2000 and ETABS for 5 projects
• Prepared construction documents and technical specifications
• Conducted site inspections and quality control reviews
• Assisted in seismic retrofit design for historic buildings
Teaching Assistant
UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in structural analysis and design:
• Led weekly discussion sections for 30-40 students
• Graded assignments and exams, held office hours
• Courses: Structural Analysis, Steel Design, Concrete Design
• Received excellent teaching evaluations (4.8/5.0 average)
Awards & Honors
Best Paper Award
International Conference on Smart Infrastructure
Best paper award for research on IoT-based bridge monitoring systems.
Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award
MIT Department of Civil Engineering
Recognized for exceptional research contributions in structural health monitoring.
ASCE Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Award
American Society of Civil Engineers
Awarded for academic excellence and leadership in civil engineering education.
Dean's List
UC Berkeley College of Engineering
Maintained Dean's List status for all eight semesters of undergraduate study.