“Keep three things running, at least one will go well”: Niharika on earthquake safety, Canadian bridges, and lessons from her six‑year‑old

Niharika is a Structural Engineer with a doctorate in earthquake safety assessment, based in Gurugram, India. She works as an Associate Group Engineer in the GTC Canada Transportation team, designing and strengthening bridges for projects thousands of miles away and she has a life philosophy that sounds simple but turns out to be surprisingly useful: always keep at least three things going at once.

What a doctorate and a six-year-old have in common

Ask Niharika what shaped her most, and she names two things: her daughter and her doctorate.

“My daughter is six years old, and she has shaped me as a better individual,” she says. “Increased patience, the ability to stay calm in chaos, and learning to listen. Since then, I’ve firmly believed that every new responsibility is not a challenge but an opportunity to learn and grow.”

The doctorate taught her something different. A PhD is a long road with slow phases and results that only come near the end. To get through it, Niharika developed a strategy she still uses today: keep two or three other aspects of life running at full speed, so that when one stalls, the others keep you moving forward.

“Keep chasing your personal milestones, family milestones, social responsibilities, and professional milestones all running in parallel,” she says. “At least one of them at a time will be giving you the joy of achievement. And when one falls apart, you still have the other two to gather you up and move ahead with the same energy.”

Weekends are her time to learn something new, it’s what keeps her energised.

Designing bridges for Canada from Gurugram

Niharika’s background spans both industry and academia, with experience across Indian and Middle East markets before joining AtkinsRéalis 18 months ago. Her doctorate focused on the earthquake safety assessment of existing structures, work that gave her a deep understanding of how buildings and infrastructure behave under extreme conditions, and an analytical rigour she now brings to every bridge project she touches.

Since joining, she’s been working on Canadian bridge projects, including the SDBJ scheme, the concept design for Passerelle Clément, and the Pont de Québec main truss strengthening. The range of work reflects what drew her here in the first place: the chance to apply her skills across different geographies and project types, from heritage structures to new builds.

The Passerelle Clément project stands out for her, in particular. She carried out vibration analysis on a simply supported steel truss bridge and a seven-span continuous I-girder deck footbridge, checking whether dampers were needed. “That was one of the projects in the Canada region where I got a chance to do advanced analysis,” she says. “I’m looking forward to doing more work like that.”

Her job satisfaction comes from a very specific place: seeing structures she’s designed being used by real communities. “This is the biggest satisfaction as an engineer, to provide a safe built environment.”

People and flexibility

When asked what helps her do her best work, Niharika’s answer is straightforward: the people and the flexibility. She’s been fortunate with mentors throughout her career -seniors who pushed her to take on challenging work she was hesitant about, telling her she’d handle it easily.

“There have been instances where I was hesitant to take up new challenging work, but my seniors strongly suggested I take it on, saying I would easily do it,” she says. “This kind of push has been instrumental in building my confidence and the growth I got after that.”

What IWD means to Niharika

For Niharika, IWD is about celebrating the women who are, as she puts it, “sailing on two boats, caregiver and provider both.” She’s honest about the realities: cultural bias, skewed gender ratios, and the career breaks that come with maternity. “This day is about giving support to those who need it, and sharing how others sailed through all of that,” she says. “Creating a space for discussion and recognising the efforts would help others to perform better.”

Her advice

“Take up whatever comes your way,” she says. “That has been my strong belief for learning and growth.”

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