DFI Magazine September/October 2020 - 87

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PROFILE

Dr. Prasad Yenumula Brims with Energy and Enthusiasm

Credit: University of Phoenix

Regular readers of this magazine were
introduced to Prasad Yenumula, Ph.D.,
MBA, P.Eng., in a July/August 2019 feature
article about challenges facing deep
foundations for the U.S. power grid. The
article on pp. 83-86 described a panel
discussion conducted at DFI's 2018
Annual Conference on the subject. The
panelists represented the utility, design
consulting, construction and contracting,
and research communities. Yenumula,
who is a member of DFI's Electric Power
Systems Foundation Committee, represented the U.S. electric utilities' perspective on issues presented. The session
was entitled, "Shortcomings of the Design
of Electric Systems Foundations."
Yenumula is the principal engineer,
Transmission Line Engineering Standards
at Duke Energy, Raleigh, North Carolina.
In the aforementioned discussion, he
pointed out that one of the problems with
the lack of standardization in the design of

AUTHOR

deep foundations for transmission lines is
that the National Electrical Safety Code
(NESC) does not address deep foundations
at all. As a leading designer and researcher
of foundations in the utility industry in the
U.S. and Canada for 23 years, he knows of
what he speaks. He noted that, "We need to
bring consensus to guidance documents
dealing with foundation design in the
electric utility industry because the current
practices vary from utility to utility."
In terms of the importance of his role in
the utility industry, it is worth pointing out
that Duke Energy owns 51,000 MW
(51 million kW) of electric generation
capacity, 31,000 mi (49,890 km) of
transmission lines and 280,000 mi
(450,616 km) of distribution lines in the
U.S. The utility of 30,000 employees serves
7.7 million retail electricity customers in six
states in a service area of 95,000 sq mi
(246,048 sq km). As the lead foundation
subject matter expert at Duke Energy, that is
a lot for which to be responsible. Yenumula
is definitely up to the task.

A Career Is Born
When asked what caused him to pursue a
career in geotechnical engineering, he
recounts, "It all started during my master's
program at the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT). At this premier school, I
had the opportunity to interact with
experts and expose myself to the real-world
challenges geotechnical engineers face
every day. I enjoy learning something new,
teaching what I know and solving
challenging problems. This specialty area
satisfied everything that I was looking for in
my career path."
He credits his entire family, teachers
and fellow students as having a great
influence on his going forward with his
education, which in the early stages
presented a heavy financial burden on his
parents. This collective support and

encouragement, and as he puts it, "love,"
contributed to his excelling throughout.
He is most appreciative of the
mentorship of Dr. S. Narasimha Rao, his
teacher and research supervisor at IIT,
whom he noted "had an immense influence
on my higher studies and career path."

Accomplishments Accrue
Yenumula came to the U.S. after studying
and working in India and Canada. He
received his B.E. degree from Andhra
University, Visakhapatnam, India. He went
on to complete his master's and his Ph.D. at
IIT in Madras. That was followed by a
postdoctoral fellowship at the Memorial
University of Newfoundland, Canada. He
later completed an MBA at the University of
Phoenix in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In addition to his position at Duke
Energy, Yenumula is an adjunct professor at
Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He has also taught business students
within the University of Phoenix system.
Marrying the fields of civil engineering
and business provides him with a unique
perspective of how the overall industry
functions. Yenumula believes that it is
important to put theory into practice. He
feels that while research is critically
important, the key is to apply what we have
learned in the lab and in field studies to realworld situations. His ability to communicate this belief and to motivate his
students is why he is a much-admired
professor. He has won multiple Outstanding
Teaching Awards, confirming the high
regard in which he is held by his students.

Professional Activities and
Achievements
Yenumula's commitment to advancing the
state of the practice in the field of
foundations in the utility industry is
evidenced not only by his daily work, but
by his writings, technical conference

S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE

DEEP FOUNDATIONS * SEPT/OCT 2020 * 87

DFI Magazine September/October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DFI Magazine September/October 2020