Mohamed A. Elghawy

My Greatest Accomplishment

Professionally, I was awarded the 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Philadelphia Section Construction Engineer of the Year. Fast forward to 2023, I completed my term as ASCE Philadelphia Section president. In this role, I led a group of talented engineers as we returned to in-person networking events, released the ASCE PA Report Card at Jefferson Station with SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards and unveiled the ASCE mural in the station’s mezzanine. These accomplishments have been through the support of our members and tireless efforts of our volunteers. I’m also proud of my work at TPD, where I manage construction and oversee federally funded PennDOT projects, as well as local projects that receive public and/or private funds for roadway and infrastructure improvements. My primary responsibilities include overseeing TPD’s team of construction inspectors; supervising inspection staff; mentoring and training junior staff; and coordinating programming for TPD’s internal Winter School, which is a robust day of continuing education for inspectors at all levels. Personally, being a proud father of two children and recently celebrating eight years of marital bliss to my wife, Yasmeen.

How Drexel Helped Me

My Drexel education and experience have been essential to my success. Going through the Drexel engineering curriculum (tDEC) and completing my first two co-ops at TPD in the Transportation Planning, Access Design, and Construction Services groups. My third co-op was at the Norwood Company. All three co-ops helped prepare me for the real world and gave me so much professional experience. I began my post-collegiate career on an $80 million federally funded project, constructing new on- and off-ramps from the Commodore Barry Bridge onto SR 291 in the City of Chester, at the height of the recession. At that time, it was very difficult to find a job in the industry. I felt that being a Drexel graduate with co-op experience gave me the advantage. Hopefully, I’ve made some of my mentors at Drexel proud: Professor Chang, Professor Emeritus Martin, Professor Brehm and former Professor Muir.

Where I Hope to Be in Five Years

My hope is to be in a position to positively effect change in the civil engineering community and in our industry, continuing to mentor young inspectors to excel in their careers and take the next step in becoming transportation construction managers. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has helped Pennsylvania fund public transportation projects to repair 3,353 aging bridges and more than 7,540 miles of highway in poor condition. It has also provided municipalities with public and private funds to improve their transportation enhancement projects. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I hope that I’m doing my part to help continue to make a difference.

How I Pay It Forward

I plan to pay it forward by taking the things I’ve learned at Drexel to continue to develop and foster growth for future engineers in the region.