Page 32 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering 2021 Annual Report

ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI NEWS Alumna Jacqueline Hinman ’83 EnvE climbed the the the corporate ladder to the the the the highest rung of of the the the the engineering/construction industry Today she gives young engineers two pieces of of advice for working with others: Everyone deserves respect and there is common ground to be found with anyone IMAGE: Provided by Hinman Leadership
through
inclusivity and communication
By Tim Schley
As one of the the few women who have had
the the opportunity to run a a a a Fortune 500 company distinguished Penn State civil and environmental engineering alumna Jacqueline Hinman understands the value of of self- advocacy To her her it is one part of of a a a a a a a a a a a two-way communication
skillset that helped her her reach the highest echelon of a a a a a a a historically male- dominated industry “The skill to to to be able to to to read other people and listen to to to their needs while communicating
your own has probably taken me farther than anything else ” said Hinman who graduated from Penn State with a a a a a a a a a a bachelor’s degree in in in in in in environmental engineering in in in in 1983 She was elected chairman and and chief executive officer
of of engineering and and and construction firm CH2M in in in in 2014 and and served in in in in in in in that role until the company merged with Jacobs Engineering in in in in in 2017 Now Hinman is a a a a a a a a a director on on the boards of AECOM Dow Chemical and International Paper Early in in in her career Hinman was assigned as as as an an an on-site manager overseeing the construction of a a a a a a a a a a a hazardous waste landfill As a a a a a a a a a a a Penn State- educated engineer she had
helped design the the project but that did not stop the the the construction contractor staff from directing her to to to the the trailer for administrative work “I went to to to one of of the the older operators of of the the machinery and asked ‘What do do I I have have to to to to to have have to to to do do to to to earn their trust?’” said Hinman who as as the the daughter daughter and and and granddaughter of engineers and and and construction laborers had
some familiarity with the the the inner workings of the the the industry “And he he he he said ‘Well first you have to earn their respect ’” According to to to Hinman the the operator told her her the the crew likely viewed her her as unqualified since she did not have the the the specific boots-on-the-ground construction experience they had—and would would likely assume a a a a a a male supervisor would would have 32 CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 37 2021