Faces of SGH: Dolunay Oniz

Luna’s Key Stats:

• Joined SGH: 2021.
• Current role: Associate Project Consultant, Oakland, CA.
• Education: University of Houston, Houston, TX (M.S. in Civil Engineering); Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye (B.S. in Civil Engineering).
• Dream superpower: Teleportation. I’d love to speed up the 18-hour flights to my hometown in Izmir, Türkiye.
• Favorite dessert: Flan.
• Favorite place: Mount Rainier National Park. It just feels like it’s out of a fairytale.

What do you do at SGH?

I am a member of SGH’s structural engineering division in Oakland, CA. I mainly focus on traditional building work, but I also help with some projects in our marine engineering group. I’m three years into my career, so I know I’m still figuring out my exact path, but I love that I’m able to be involved in a wide variety of things while I determine what my true passion is.

In addition to my technical role, I’m also the Oakland office’s co-CLO (Chief Leisure Officer) with Moire Bruin. I work with her to arrange social activities, providing a time and place for us to connect with each other outside the office. We often plan happy hours to celebrate promotions and introduce our new team members to the rest of the team here. The event I’m most looking forward to is the end-of-summer Giants baseball game!

What’s your fondest memory here?

When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck my home country of Türkiye in 2023, I wasn’t sure how to react. My first thought was purely emotional, thinking about my friends and the people I knew there. But then I began thinking, “How can I help? What can I do from this far away?” I first approached the Division Heads here in Oakland, Bill Bruin and Craig Allender, and asked if they’d match my donation to the relief efforts. They took that request and ran with it, elevating it to a company-wide fundraiser where we were able to raise almost $30,000 for people in need. It was more than I ever imagined. I knew that even from far away, I was able to make an impact. It was amazing to see how SGH put its efforts behind not only the disaster, but also in me. The whole experience showed me that I’m not just working at a company, they’ve become my family here.

What’s been your professional highlight at SGH?

I’ve only been here for a few years, but two major highlights come to mind. As part of the relief efforts in Türkiye, SGH helped organize a team to participate in the reconnaissance efforts with ASCE COPRI. It felt great to be recognized as an important member of that team member. We went to multiple sites in Türkiye, mostly focusing on marine structures. We spoke with local teams to understand what happened and how we can better prepare for future seismic events.

Another highlight is a research project I’m currently working on. Rune Iversen, a Principal in our marine engineering group, was seeking help solving a technical issue on a research project related to LRFD load factors for berthing loads. I knew how to use the software the team was working with, so I was able to challenge myself, chime in, and help solve the issue. Ultimately, Rune made me the project lead, which resulted in additional research. I’ve presented our findings at a few conferences and just got accepted into another one.

What are you hoping to accomplish next?

My next major goal is to obtain my Professional Engineering license. I’m studying for the exam right now, so that’s my focus. Once that’s done, I want to continue to be involved in research projects and find ways to give back to the industry.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Never be afraid to ask questions, and never think you’re not worthy of being in the room with more senior people. When I first presented at the ASCE-COPRI PORTS conference in Hawaii, I worried that I’d get complicated questions from people in the audience. But then I reminded myself that they were in my shoes twenty years ago and I’ll be in their shoes in twenty years—we’re all at different stages of our careers and bring value to the industry.

I’d also tell my younger self to learn as much as possible. You’ll never know everything, but you’ll continue the learning process throughout your life. Starting your career or learning something new can be scary at first, but if you have a team supporting you through the adventure, you have nothing to worry about.