Shiva Karimi, Ph.D., PE, GE, is a Technical Director in Partner’s Geotechnical Department, where she provides technical leadership for complex geotechnical engineering projects throughout California and the western United States. With more than 25 years of experience, she specializes in geotechnical investigations, foundation engineering, earth-retaining structures, slope stabilization, transportation infrastructure, and risk management for public and private sector developments.
Throughout her career, Dr. Karimi has managed and provided technical oversight for thousands of projects ranging from large-scale transportation and infrastructure programs to commercial, residential, and institutional developments. Her expertise includes bridge replacement and widening projects, deep foundation systems, retaining wall design, seismic evaluations, geotechnical risk assessments, and stormwater management solutions. She has served as Engineer of Record for high-profile projects involving complex subsurface conditions, challenging construction environments, and significant stakeholder coordination.
Before joining Partner, Dr. Karimi held senior geotechnical engineering and project management roles supporting municipal agencies and transportation authorities throughout California. She has led multidisciplinary teams of geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, structural engineers, and transportation professionals in the investigation and design of more than 2,000 projects. Her work has included bridge foundation design, slope stabilization systems, soil nail walls, reinforced earth systems, tieback walls, secant walls, and other earth-retaining structures.
Dr. Karimi’s infrastructure experience includes major transportation corridors, bridge retrofit and replacement programs, emergency storm-damage response projects, and seismic evaluations near active fault systems. She has provided construction-phase support, value engineering, risk management studies, and geotechnical peer reviews for projects with individual values exceeding $100 million. Her ability to integrate technical rigor with practical construction considerations helps clients mitigate risk, control costs, and successfully deliver challenging projects.
In addition to her infrastructure expertise, Dr. Karimi has extensive experience supporting commercial and residential developments, including foundation design, liquefaction evaluations, forensic investigations, and construction observations. She has worked closely with owners, architects, contractors, and public agencies to develop technically sound and constructible solutions that meet project objectives while complying with regulatory requirements.
