Paul Mather: Academy of Distinguished Engineers - 2013

Highway Division Administrator, Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem, Oregon

Paul Mather had a clear direction for his life and Oregon State helped him achieve his goals. “My education at OSU has enabled me to fulfill my life’s purpose,” says Mather. “My college experience opened doors that allowed me to use my engineering and leadership skills to enhance the abilities of those around me.” Paul joined the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in 1984 in traffic engineering. Over the years, he has worked in construction, maintenance, and project development in Portland, Salem, and Roseburg. Mather led ODOT’s response to the state’s deteriorating bridges by coordinating the “Economic and Bridge Options Report,” resulting in a $1.3 billion funding package approved by the state legislature.“Oregon’s deteriorating bridges and overpasses threatened a $123-million negative impact to the state’s economy, placing more than 88,000 jobs at risk,” says Mather. “With the help of OSU research, I helped tell this story to the 2003 legislature. Over the last 10 years, ODOT has completed work on all of these routes, with a program delivered on time and under budget.”