Dina Hunt, PE

While a big part of my role involves bringing teams together to support clients and navigate regulatory frameworks, what really excites me is the technical challenge of spectrally matching time histories. I love those deep-focus moments when I close my email, turn off my phone, put on my headphones, and get lost in finding the best match for acceleration, velocity, and displacement while analyzing the record properties.

Seismic hazard is a field where much is learned through mentorship—my mentor, Nick Gregor, encouraged the sharing of institutional knowledge.

He’s absolutely right! Sharing knowledge and mentoring the next generation is essential. I always think about who could benefit from what I know and I strive to pass it on. That’s why I’m excited to host Dam Deformation: Progressing from Simplified to Advanced Seismic Modeling, a live webcast that will help participants learn how to develop and interpret seismic input parameters, manage data constraints, and integrate results across analytical methods.

Risk-based approaches to better plan and prioritize are becoming more critical, especially as a significant portion of our heavy civil infrastructure needs maintenance, repairs, and modernization. The work ahead is immense, and we need more engineers to help support it.

One of the biggest advancements I see on the horizon is the use of scenario-based seismic hazard mapping to help infrastructure owners make smarter, risk-informed decisions. Right now, many agencies struggle to predict how earthquakes will impact their networks of roads, bridges, pipelines, and power lines. As a result, they face challenges in emergency planning, prioritizing retrofits, and optimizing investments.

Developing pre-earthquake planning maps can give infrastructure owners a clearer picture of how different seismic scenarios will affect their assets—similar to a weather forecast but for earthquakes.

I currently serve as president of the USSD board of directors, finishing my two-year term this May at the society’s annual conference. In this role, I’ve focused on increasing transparency, strengthening the Young Professionals Committee, inspiring volunteers, and growing the next generation of dam safety engineers, all while working with the board to guide the organization strategically.

USSD was one of the first professional organizations I became involved in. Early in my career, I took a leap and wrote a conference paper with just six years of experience. That day, I won my first client, and to this day, I am still their client service leader.

Recently, I was honored to be named one of the 75 most influential people in hydropower by International Water Power & Dam Construction magazine. This recognition highlights the importance of seismic engineering in dam safety and the collective efforts of our industry to advance infrastructure resilience. It’s a privilege to contribute to this work alongside so many dedicated professionals. 

Seven years ago, I was given the incredible opportunity to build the company’s seismic hazard group. The vice president who hired me, Dean Durkee, PhD, PE, PEng, is a forward-thinking leader; his vision was the biggest reason I joined.

I’ll never forget my interview dinner—where, to my surprise, my husband was invited too! It was a clever recruiting approach that allowed the team to involve both of us. Afterward, my husband turned to me and said, “This is an incredible opportunity!” He was right.

I continue to stay because of that same forward-thinking culture. My colleagues genuinely care about each other and their families. My job is a significant part of my life, but it’s also a place where I can have fun, build meaningful relationships, and continue to grow. 

I go to barre classes three times a week! I’ve found that exercising not only makes me more efficient at work but also a lot happier.