OSU architectural engineering alumna Carrie Johnson receives NCSEA Lifetime Achievement Award
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Carrie Johnson, P.E., S.E., a graduate of Oklahoma State University’s architectural engineering program, has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations. The award recognizes Johnson’s decades-long leadership, service and lasting contributions to the structural engineering profession.
Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from OSU in 1987, followed by a master’s degree in 1988. She is currently a principal and chair of the Board of Directors for Wallace Design Collective, a national structural and civil engineering and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Tulsa with offices in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Denver, Nashville, Northwest Arkansas and Atlanta.
A licensed engineer in more than 40 states, Johnson has built a distinguished career focused on advancing structural engineering practice, mentoring future engineers and strengthening professional organizations. Her project work has largely centered on the retail industry where she has played a key role in developing multi-site building prototypes and proprietary software that automates repetitive structural engineering tasks. She has also led Wallace Design Collective’s “One Wallace” initiative, a multi-year effort focused on consistency, training and improved experiences for both clients and employees.
Johnson’s professional service includes serving as past president of NCSEA and the Applied Technology Council, as well as chairing ATC’s strategic planning committee. ATC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing engineering resources that help mitigate the effects of natural and other hazards on the built environment, with publications used worldwide in disaster recovery and assessment.
In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Johnson previously received NCSEA’s Service Award in 2016, which honors individuals whose volunteer contributions significantly exceed the norm and have made a clear and lasting impact on both the organization and the profession.
Johnson has also remained deeply connected to OSU and the state of Oklahoma. She is an active member of the Oklahoma Structural Engineers Association, serving as its president in 2001 and 2009 and as the organization’s delegate to NCSEA for six years. She has returned to OSU many times as a juror for the School of Architecture’s senior design projects, an advisor for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s senior-level steel course, and a mentor for high school students interested in engineering programs within OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. In 2021, Johnson was inducted into the CEAT Hall of Fame. Reflecting on her time at OSU, Johnson credits the university with shaping both her career and professional network.
“My most vivid memories are of long nights in the architecture building,” Johnson said. “I am privileged to work with many of the people I met at OSU, and a lot of our clients are people we first met during our time in college.”
The NCSEA Lifetime Achievement Award is among the organization’s highest honors and recognizes individuals whose careers have had a profound and lasting influence on the structural engineering profession nationwide.