Hunt Elected President of the United States Society on Dams
In 2013, Dina Hunt, PE, stepped into the United States Society on Dams (USSD) as a volunteer. Today, she steps into the role of president of USSD. Gannett Fleming’s chief earthquake hazard engineer, Hunt has spent her career advocating for dam safety, volunteering, and bringing people together to share their professional expertise and advance the industry.
Hunt earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in geotechnical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. As a practitioner, she developed an in-depth knowledge of seismic codes and design guidelines, as well as research experience in seismology. She excels in performing site-specific seismic hazard evaluations using probabilistic and deterministic approaches and developing design time histories for federal, state, and private clients.
For the past decade, Hunt’s involvement with USSD has included chairing its Conference Planning Committee, serving on the board of directors and Earthquake and Finance Committees, and being the secretary/treasurer and vice president. As a professional engineer, she contributed to and guided the draft of USSD’s white paper “Selecting Seismic Parameters for Dams.”
As a thought leader, she has authored several technical papers on seismic hazards presented at USSD conferences. In 2021, Hunt was one of 11 women featured in the USSD Dams & Levees Bulletin article, “The Women in Industry,” for driving change, breaking down barriers, and creating new possibilities for young professionals.
USSD is the U.S. national committee for the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and is dedicated to advancing the role of dam and levee systems and building the community of practice. It provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experiences and is charged with leading the profession of dams and levees engineering.
“USSD just experienced its largest annual conference ever,” said Gannett Fleming Vice President and former USSD President Dean Durkee, PhD, PE, PEng. “As an organization, USSD is continually asked to contribute our technical expertise. Dina will undoubtedly build upon the trail blazed by past leadership and be an effective president – continuing to grow USSD and achieve the vision of a world where all dams and levees are safe and valued by the communities they serve.”
Hunt is eager to get started in her new role as president and looks forward to collaborating with USSD’s executive director and board to uphold the organization’s mission.
When she’s not shaping the future of the dams and levees industry, Hunt enjoys additional volunteering and recognizes the importance of giving back to both her personal and professional communities. At Gannett Fleming, Hunt supports Connected Women at Gannett Fleming™, the firm’s employee resource group that mentors, supports, and engages women.
