Jeffrey Firth: Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers - 2013

Jeff Firth followed a strong family tradition when he joined the Beaver Nation. His intent was to learn how to design bridges, but a summer internship led to the discovery of how much he enjoyed the hands-on challenges of heavy civil construction. “The discipline and problem-solving perspectives I learned through OSU’s Construction Engineering Management program have been critical to my success,” says Firth. “OSU taught me perseverance — never give up and always keep pursuing the answer. I grew as an individual, learned from failures, achieved successes, and remain deeply appreciative of the friends I made along the way.”

Firth has managed some of Oregon’s largest highway and bridge building projects through his company’s work for the Department of Transportation. He is currently leading the effort on the $150 million Interstate-5 Willamette River Bridge. For the first time, ODOT will use the construction management/general contractor building method, thereby setting new standards for the future of heavy civil construction.