Kelley Severns has been appointed bridge engineering research leader at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff.
In her new position, Severns will direct complex bridge research efforts, managing bridge and structures-related research projects for state departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). She will also serve as the firm’s focal point for emerging structural engineering developments and techniques in design, construction, maintenance, and preservation of bridges and structures. Additionally, she will spearhead analyses of impacts of federal rule-makings related to bridges and structures.
Severns has more than 20 years of transportation engineering experience as a bridge design engineer, special projects engineer, and program manager for bridges and structures. Prior to joining WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, she led business development efforts in North America for an international engineering organization, working with clients across the country to research, procure, and develop bridge business.
Previously, Severns served for 10 years as an engineering management consultant for bridges and structures, on contract to AASHTO. She acted as the AASHTO staff liaison for the subcommittee on bridges and structures and worked with state highway departments to develop structural specifications and initiate research and continued training in structural engineering. During her tenure with AASHTO, she was responsible for managing the process of developing and updating all bridge design, construction, maintenance, and preservation documents, including the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification and the Manual for Bridge Evaluation.
A licensed professional engineer in Kentucky, Severns has a B.S. in civil engineering and an M.S. in structural engineering from the University of Kentucky. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has served on several NCHRP panels and as a researcher on practical bridge preservation strategies. She currently serves on the board of directors of Bridging the Gap Africa, which builds footbridges for rural, developing communities throughout East Africa
