As a Structural Designer, Vanessa Duran is eager to contribute her knowledge and broaden her experience with the diverse projects Forell | Elsesser has to offer. Vanessa received her Bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Urban Studies. She then continued her studies there to receive a Master’s in Structural and Earthquake Engineering. During her time at SFSU, Vanessa conducted extensive research on Soil-Structure-Interaction in a collaborative project with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the University of Nevada, Reno, and UC Davis. This sparked her interest in seismic design and the implementation of nonlinear analysis procedures for effective seismic evaluations. She also served as Vice President for ASCE at SFSU. 

In her free time, Vanessa is an avid reader, collects vinyl records, and enjoys exploring the gastronomic specialties of the Bay Area.