Founder and President of Universal Structural Engineers, LLC located in San Mateo, CA. Mr. O'Keefe has over 28 years of experience in the structural engineering field.

His project experiences encompass:

• nuclear power plants,
• blast design,
• commercial building design,
• residential design,
• earthquake retrofit, and
• typhoon design.

Mr. O'Keefe has analyzed and designed retrofits for numerous structures throughout the country. Some of these include:

• the Trans-Alaska Pipeline,
• Department of Energy facilities
• highway overpasses in California,
• blast analysis and retrofit of oil refinery structures, and
• evaluation of equipment and piping at nuclear power plant facilities in Tennessee, Alabama and New Jersey.

Mr. O'Keefe's commercial and institutional experience encompass numerous single and multi-story buildings in California including:

• the nine-story Shriners' Hospital in Sacramento,
• five to seven story office buildings in the San Francisco Bay area,
• seismic retrofit of the historical buildings 160 and 170 on the Stanford Campus,
• retail shopping centers,
• office, high technology and biotech campus projects.

The projects Mr. O'Keefe has managed have made him experienced in:

• performance based design;
• finite element analysis;
• seismic retrofit;
• structural steel, light gage steel, wood, masonry and concrete design;
• construction.

Mr. O'Keefe graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering. He then graduated from the University of Illinois in 1991 with a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering. Mr. O'Keefe is a registered civil and structural engineer in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.

Alaa Barakat, P.E.
Project Manager
P.E. C 90758

Mr. Barakat joined Universal Structural Engineers in 2017. He is a highly skilled structural engineer with a demonstrated track record of executing structural designs and overseeing construction administration across a diverse array of projects. He currently serves as Senior Structural Engineer and Project Manager.

These undertakings exhibit considerable divergence in terms of architectural form, functional intent, and building materials.

His professional experience has encompassed engagements within various regulatory jurisdictions in California, including

• municipal authorities,
• the Division of the State Architect (DSA) for public educational institutions,
• and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (HCAI/OSHPD) for healthcare facilities.

Notably, Mr. Barakat has garnered substantial expertise in the realm of educational institutions, particularly within the K-12 sector, spanning constructions dating from the 1940s to the present day. Additionally, his portfolio prominently features numerous healthcare projects, specifically those pertaining to hospitals.

Mr. Barakat graduated in 2013 with Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Civil Engineering from Islamic University in Palestine and in 2018 received Master of Science (M.Sc.), Earthquake/Structural Engineering from San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.

Jeff Carroll, P.E.
Project Manager,
P.E. C 83379

Jeff joined Universal Structural Engineers in 2012. His role as Project Manager and Senior Structural Engineer services many diverse projects with a focus on clear communication with our partners and technical and practical efficiency in design.

His professional experience is composed of many projects throughout California, most notably:

• School facilities through the Division of the State Architect (DSA)
• Commercial buildings including new construction and structural modification of existing buildings
• Hospital improvements and renovations through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (HCAI, formerly OSHPD).

Mr. Carroll graduated in 2010 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering. He is always excited to build relationships and accomplish shared goals.

Belinda Huynh, P.E.,
Project Manager
P.E. C 87359

Belinda joined Universal Structural Engineers(USE) in 2014 and currently serves as a Senior Structural Engineer and Project Manager. Over the past 9 years her consistent commitment to technical quality, depth of subject specific knowledge, and effective planning capabilities have been an integral part of USE’s success. Her skills are on display in many USE projects. A few highlights are:

• the Paradise School District (DSA),
• Isaach Sowers Middle School Reconstruction (DSA),
• 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley (Commercial),
• various improvements at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara (HCAI).

Ms. Huynh graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering from University of California, San Diego. She is always up for a challenge and ready to meet your structural design needs.