Paula Hammond : Academy of Distinguished Engineers - 2008

BSCE 1979 - CCEPaula Hammond joined the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) after earning her bachelor’s in civil engineering from OSU in 1979. She began her career performing land surveys and pavement tests and subsequently worked in all areas of the department’s operations, capital delivery, and policy programs. Hammond served as the department’s chief of staff from 2001 to 2007, prior to Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire promoting her to the post of transportation secretary in November 2007. Hammond is responsible for managing WSDOT and its nearly 7,000 employees. In July 2005, WSDOT became a cabinet agency and maintains 7,000 miles of highways and 3,300 bridges and tunnels, including the longest and widest of the world's first floating bridges. WSDOT also operates the state’s most popular tourist attraction – the Washington State Ferries – with 29 ships that carry more than 27 million passengers.