Simpson Gumpertz & Heger welcomes Derrick Watkins as a principal to the firm, bolstering advanced analytical capabilities for mission-critical facilities and components in the defense, energy, healthcare and aerospace sectors. He will join SGH’s engineering mechanics & infrastructure division in Southern California, partnering closely with professionals across the firm while operating out of San Diego. Derrick brings 27 years of experience in the industry, specializing in seismic analysis for nonstructural components, such as heating, cooling and piping systems; high-end structural analysis and finite-element modeling; and impact modeling analysis to assess extreme loading conditions.
Most recently, Derrick was a vice president at SC Solutions. He has also served as a senior associate and executive advisor with Structural Integrity Associates and a co-founder of Tobolski Watkins Engineering, TRU Compliance and Seismic TestCo. He is an active member of several industry organizations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, where he is a fellow and serves on Committee 4 on Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures and Committee 43 on Seismic Design Criteria for Structures, Systems and Components in Nuclear Facilities.
Derrick holds a Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of California, San Diego, as well as a master’s degree in structural engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Bucknell University. He formerly held structural teaching positions at the University of California, San Diego and Columbia Basin College.
