Lan

Jennifer Lan
Pushing forward in seismic design
27, Associate
Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP
New York City

Lan, a licensed professional engineer in New York and California, has her eye on learning more about local construction processes. "As new technologies have made incredible complex designs possible, I believe a thorough understanding of the construction process is necessary for creating efficient designs and for moving the industry forward," she says. Lan herself is skilled at moving forward, taking just three years to complete a civil engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then going on to earn a master's at Stanford Univeristy in structural engineering, a field for which she is currently seeking California licensure. Her portfolio spans projects that include Avalon West Chelsea, a 600,000-sq-ft tower in Manhattan, and seismic risk analysis on more than 400 locations of a nationwide financial services firm. Lan is interested in seismic design and earthquake-resistant building technology. She is an associate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers' 7 Seismic Code Subcommittee and a member of the Structural Engineers Association of New York. Outside the office, Lan volunteers for the New York City CANstruction charity focused on fighting hunger.

Osbaugh

Ty Osbaugh
Focusing on New York and gaining global experience
38, Senior Associate
Gensler
New York City

A licensed architect and a technical director at his firm's aviation studio, Osbaugh gained expertise early on working with the Transportation Security Administration to develop post-9/11 security guidelines for a new terminal at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. His portfolio has since expanded to include a major focus on high-profile metro New York airport projects, such as JetBlue Airway's Terminal 5 at JFK. Osbaugh has continued to work with JetBlue for the last nine years, leading a team of architects tasked with delivering terminals and renovation documents. Osbaugh, who earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, says his passion is to make an impact. "Thinking holistically about how New Yorkers use airports, including what it is like to re-enter our city, my long-term goal is to raise the quality of airports," he says. Internationally, Osbaugh has worked in India, as well as in the African cities of Lagos and Nairobi, and he leads Gensler's efforts in Northern Africa. His other activities include creating and leading workshops for junior staff members on terminal design and speaking at seminars on the value of design in civic buildings. Osbaugh also participates in activities for his college alumni group and for the Susan G. Komen cancer foundation.

Rubenstein

Sara Rubenstein
Negotiating hard to facilitate construction
37, Associate Counsel and Assistant Secretary
Lend Lease Americas Inc.
New York City

Starting her career as a financial analyst for a real estate investment trust, Rubenstein learned about real estate and became interested in becoming a real estate lawyer. She went on to earn a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and developed a specialty in construction early in her career, working on construction litigation and drafting construction contracts for general contractors and construction managers while working as an associate at a law firm. At Lend Lease, she was promoted from legal counsel to associate counsel in less than one year and now oversees a significant part of the firm's project management and construction matters. She has also negotiated contracts for many major construction projects nationwide and is responsible for the company's licensing and corporate minute books and records. Outside the office, she keeps active as a board and committee member of the Association of Real Estate Women and as a committee member of the New York City Bar Association. She says she is proud when she sees a building that she's worked on, "knowing that I helped make it possible."

Russell

Kate Russell
Enhancing space through design
39, Design Director
Gensler
New York City

With 13 years of construction industry experience, Russell has designed spaces for more than 100 brands, including high-end retailers Judith Leiber, Alexander Wang, Kate Spade and Rocawear as well as a department store with sites in India. Working out of her firm's New York City office, she leads two retail studios with more than 40 designers and serves on a retail task force. An adviser on the retail industry to leaders across her architecture firm, she also mentors young designers. Russell says she leads her team with the aim of enhancing each visitor's experience through design. She says her mission is to ensure that designs tell a complete environmental story through elements of architecture, material choice and brand-specific interactive moments. Beyond the workplace, Russell is trained as an interpretive exhibit designer and has been a member of the American Association of Museums and The Environmental Design Research Association for 15 years. In 2002, she won its design award for her graduate thesis entitled: "Remembering September 11, Concepts for a Memorial Museum." Russell earned a bachelor's degree in international studies and philosophy from SUNY Brockport and a master's in interior design and interpretive exhibit design from Pratt Institute.