Lori Ware, PE, PTOE, Impacts The Greater Philadelphia Community

Based in Dawood’s King of Prussia office, Manager of Traffic Services Lori Ware, PE, PTOE, demonstrates that learning never stops. She’s active with the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE), American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) Delaware Valley Chapter, and Mid-Atlantic Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (MASITE)—and helps middle schoolers excel in math and engineering in her free time.

Lori is a role model for girls throughout engineering, and one of our 2024 Engineers Week spotlight employees.

What does STEM mean to you?

For the past several years, I’ve worked with 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders to hone their problem-solving skills in the MathCounts Foundation Competition in the Delaware County Chapter, hosted by the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, most recently held at Garnet Valley Middle School. Math is an everyday function, critical for students at any age to embrace. It can also lead to a plethora of career opportunities.

The same holds true for engineering. In a similar volunteer role, I serve as a judge for the DiscoverE Future City Philadelphia Region competition. This year’s Future City theme, “Electrify The Future,” challenged middle schoolers to “design a 100% electrically powered city with energy generated from sources that keep your citizens and the environment healthy and safe.”  It was eye-opening and inspiring to read the school essays about the innovative and unique solutions under this theme.

Why did you choose engineering as a career path?

In high school, I excelled in math and science, but had no idea what career to explore. My grandmother was an engineer, and most of my friends were thinking of going into that field, so thinking it held promise, I also did. I started off in general engineering and took the time to listen to all types of professional engineers that would guest lecture in my classes. I decided on civil engineering, with a focus on transportation.

Talk about your professional engineering impact.

I joined the Dawood team 14 years ago as the first King of Prussia office employee. Through project success in this region and office growth—both staff and facility space—I was appointed to the Manager of Traffic Services in 2021. I work in concert with Jason Cowen, PE, Dawood’s recently promoted Manager of Highway Services, to deliver complete street solutions for the greater Philadelphia region and beyond.

What do you enjoy about Dawood?

The diversity. Every day is different. I can work on a $25,000 analysis project at the start of the week, a plan review midweek, and a $25 million design by week’s end. I also like the impact and practicality of transportation projects, and watching how our team helps connect people with destinations effectively and efficiently. And of course, our safety culture is paramount, aligned with our clients’ mission.

You support several non-profits and professional societies—what’s new for 2024?

In addition to serving on the MASITE Spring Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, I’m planning to attend the joint ITE International and Mid-Colonial Annual Meeting and Exhibition from July 21-24 in Philadelphia. Our Dawood team looks forward to collaborating with our key clients and partners throughout the region at these events!