Samantha Leonard

Project engineer, RDH Building Science

Samantha Leonard, PhD, PE, is a project engineer with RDH Building Science, where she has worked as a building enclosure consultant for the past eight years. Leonard recently graduated with her PhD in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, where she used parametric modeling methods to analyze mass timber structures for early-stage design decisions.

Her research on mass timber structures explores the intersection of multiple design goals, including embodied carbon, structural performance, prescriptive fire design, and acoustic insulation. Leonard’s research has appeared in multiple conferences, including the World Conference on Timber Engineering, Structures Congress, and the PHRC Residential Building Design & Construction Conference.

Leonard’s current work at RDH includes façade access consulting, roofing, and waterproofing review for new construction, embodied carbon research, and the development of training and publications