March 31, 2023

Carol J. Drucker

Carol Drucker
BSCE 1985
Principal
Drucker Zajdel Structural Engineers

"Success in Structural Engineering is achieved by working together and having foresight to see and solve potential issues before they occur."

Carol Drucker is a Principal of the firm Drucker Zajdel Structural Engineers in Chicago.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Carol always admired the bridges that span the Ohio River connecting Louisville to Indiana. Her curiosity about the bridge’s design and construction inspired her to study Civil Engineering. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Kentucky. The following year, she transferred to Purdue University — her dream school since childhood.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue, Carol went to the University of California at Berkeley to obtain her Master’s in Structural Engineering. After that, she started her career at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill in San Francisco and Chicago, working on the design of structures worldwide.

Following the birth of her twins, Carol started Drucker Zajdel Structural Engineers with fellow Purdue alum, Marylynn Zajdel. Their firm has been in business now for over 20 years and is located in the heart of Chicago’s financial district. DZSE, in collaboration with Wight & Company and SOM, received the AISC Steel Design Award for the architecturally acclaimed Chinatown Public Library project in Chicago.

At DZSE, Carol specializes in her passion: the design of structural steel connections, and has become an industry leader. She has worked on numerous connection projects throughout the United States and Canada, including notable projects such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Blue Cross Blue Shield Vertical Expansion in Chicago, River Point tower in Chicago, and Space X Launch Complex 39A.

Carol has authored several articles and given numerous presentations on connection design and currently serves on AISC’s TC-6 Committee, which covers connection design, and on AISC’s Specification Committee, which covers AISC’s steel Specifications and Provisions. She is the recipient of AISC’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award and NASCC 2022 Steel Conference Speaker Award.

Carol and her husband, Larry, live in Naperville, Illinois, and they have three children who live in Chicago. In her free time, Carol enjoys cooking and golfing.