Engineers / Ashraf Habibullah
Ashraf Habibullah is President and CEO of Computers and Structures, Inc. (CSI) Ashraf graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Master of Science in Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics in 1970. He founded CSI in 1975 as co-creator of the first structural engineering software available to the personal computer, and the company now offers a full suite of structural engineering analysis and design tools.
Ashraf has led the development of CSI’s products for over four decades and has been active as a researcher and educator, conducting international seminars on analytical techniques used in software for structural and earthquake engineering. He currently serves as a board member of the College of Engineering Advisory Board at UC Berkeley.
Ashraf also has a keen passion for the arts and has made extensive contributions to the arts for many decades. He is a co-founder of the world-class, award-winning professional ballet company, Diablo Ballet. He is also the founder of the Engineering Alliance for the Arts, a non-profit organization that exposes high school students to engineering and technology by hosting an annual bridge design competition, helping to foster student appreciation for the artistic aspects of bridge engineering.
Beyond his myriad accomplishments and awards in the fields of technology and engineering, Ashraf is unique for his interests in—and deep passion for—non-technical subjects such as fashion, food, music, concerts, dance, plays, parties, and photography. He has a strong interest in the study of human behavior and how it can empower engineers to achieve even higher levels of success. He speaks worldwide about the importance of including human psychology and human behavior in the engineering curriculum for college and graduate-level students and consults with practicing engineers on how they can hone their non-technical skills to improve their professional relationships, attain leadership positions, achieve greater influence, and maximize their earning potential.
- Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County Arts Recognition Award (1998)
- SEAONC Community Involvement Award (2000)
- San Francisco Business Arts Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Arts Community (2004)
- ASCE George Winter Award (2005)
- SEAONC H. J. Brunnier Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- ACI Charles S. Whitney Medal (2011)
- UC Berkeley CEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni (2013)
- Berkeley Foundation Trustees' Citation Award (2014)