Julie Neph, Chief Engineer of the Mackinac Bridge Authority, Keeps 4 Million Motorists Safe Every Year

Julie Neph always had an appreciation for buildings. As a student who excelled in math and science, Neph recognized that engineering would be her likely career path.

“I knew I wanted to work with buildings,” Neph said. “I wanted to know why a building was standing the way it was.”

While doing on-the-job training at the Michigan Department of Transportation’s engineering development program, she was one of only three or fewer women among 30 engineers.

“I had expected there not to be a lot of women, especially in civil engineering,” Neph said. “It was just the way it was, and it was OK with me.”

Now, as the chief engineer of the Mackinac Bridge Authority, Neph makes sure the Mackinac Bridge’s maintenance projects are seen through.Neph has worked as a civil engineer on the Mackinac Bridge for nearly three decades, helping to keep the bridge safe for the nearly 13,000 people who cross it a day.