Hillary Isebrands is a successful leader in transportation engineering, achieving Federal Highway Administration Engineer (FHWA) of the Year 2019, and she appears on the winter 2023 cover of the Woman Engineer magazine for her highway safety work in the US. But before she was an award-winning industry leader, saving lives with her work every day, Isebrands was a Cyclone.
As an undergraduate in civil engineering, Isebrands worked internships for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the city of Ames for transportation, and she worked in the Structures lab in Town during the school year. So, when she graduated, it was natural to continue down the Transportation Engineer path.
But, in 1997 when she graduated, DOTs were not hiring, so she became a roadway designer and project manager for a consulting firm. After six years, Isebrands wanted more: she knew she loved the technical side of transportation engineering and liked the professors of practice she experienced in the CCEE department, so she returned to Iowa State.
As a graduate student, she attained a fellowship for her research, coincidentally funded by the FHWA. She worked towards her PhD, teaching courses, reviewing data, and completing research, “it was the perfect storm for me, and really sparked my passion for digging deeper in research,” Isebrands said.
Her newfound passion for research promoted a shift from a singular focus in highway design to a multi-faceted focus that also includes operations and safety. Isebrands’s work built upon each other; now, she uses her unique skills and perspective as a team leader with the National FHWA Safety and Design Team.
“Going back to school gave me the opportunity to broaden my expertise—it opened my world, and I never went back,” Isebrands said.
Her advice for current Iowa State CCEE students? Love what you do.
“If you don’t love what you do, it makes everything harder. Dig deep, get experience, meet people, and get involved,” she said.
Her connection with Iowa State continues with her role on the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) steering committee, mentoring women in STEM as they pursue their degrees. She also cheers on the Cyclone athletic teams with her husband, fellow CCEE alum Ben Gerdes (CE 1997), and their two children.
Isebrands is a leader in transportation engineering and a Cyclone.