YIN YIN
Visible Spectrum is a series to spotlight talented and dedicated women employees across the Lab
February 11, 2022
Yin Yin is a facilities structural engineer who is responsible for performing detailed structural engineering for seismic anchorage designs of non-structural components and research equipment for different divisions. She provides structural engineering design and plan reviews for capital and maintenance projects, and frequently troubleshoots and resolves structural issues as needed for both science and operations areas.
When not at the Lab, Yin Yin loves to cook and garden. She has been growing her own tomatoes, spring onion, basil, chilies, and peppers. Yin Yin also enjoys traveling with her family and friends, and can’t wait to hit the road again.
What inspired you to work at Berkeley Lab?
I was a community college intern at Berkeley Lab in the summer of 2014 which was a great experience and introduced me to the facilities services division. I came back to the Lab as a student assistant while getting my master’s degree at UC Berkeley. After graduating in 2018, I decided to continue my career at the Lab. The Lab has very complicated site conditions which makes designing seismic bracing solutions an exciting challenge. The Hayward Fault is in close proximity to our site, so I know my day-to-day work protects the world-class science done at the Lab.
What have you been most proud of in your work?
Ever since I joined the Lab, I have encountered seismic anchorage situations that challenge me to think outside of the box quite frequently, especially for the Advanced Light Source (ALS). I often take pride in working with key players from ALS and ALS-U to come up with a workable solution for a congested site.
I’ve also developed structural key plans for over 100 buildings and structures at the Lab sites which show the lateral force-resisting systems in place. These plans can and are used by the Damage Assessment Team for disaster planning and inspection, such as if there was an earthquake and an immediate need to evaluate the safety of affected structures. These plans will then help the Lab quickly identify where to inspect.
Do you have tips you'd recommend for someone looking to enter and/or succeed in your field of work?
Be open-minded and do not hesitate to reach out. There are always people willing to help you or share their experiences with you.
How can our community engage more women, girls, and other underrepresented groups in STEM?
K-12 STEM Education and Outreach Programs and the internship programs offered by Workforce Development & Education are two great programs we have at the Lab. It is important to ensure that these programs and opportunities are shared within our community and broadly to external audiences so that they are made more aware of these accessible opportunities.
