Alicia Wright
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Alicia Wright: NCDOT Safety Preservation Engineer Oversees Safety Of 62 NC Airports

Arjun Sheth
Alicia Wright
Wright

Raleigh, NC – Women’s History Month is the perfect time to appreciate the women who are excelling in certain careers that have previously been predominantly male-dominated fields. Alicia Wright, a Civil Engineer, is one of these women. She currently works as a Safety Preservation Engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Division of Aviation, overseeing 62 general aviation airports in North Carolina.

Alicia Wright
As a Safety Preservation Engineer, Wright performs various tasks to ensure that airports are functioning at peak conditions. (submitted)

Wright grew up in San Antonio, TX. She earned a degree in Civil Engineering at NC A&T State University in Greensboro, inspired by a cousin who was an electrical engineer. This set her on the path to joining the NCDOT. “I was in the training program for DOT and decided to do additional training that lasts around 15-18 months, where you have to do mandatory construction and maintenance, and following that you get to pick a field,” she said, talking about her start in aviation. She picked aviation as it was one of the fields that particularly interested her.

As a Safety Preservation Engineer, Wright performs various tasks to ensure that airports are functioning at peak conditions while ensuring efficiency when it comes to budgetary use. “I oversee preventive maintenance before it gets to a point where an airport needs capital improvement or maintenance. We preserve the airfield as much as possible.” This sort of insight is valuable for an airport as it ensures that the entire airport and all the staff do not face any problems.

Alicia Wright
Wright is one of a few Black females in the predominantly male-dominated aviation industry. (submitted)

It is not surprising that this job, and the aviation industry in general, has been predominantly a male-dominated field. Wright spoke about how there are not a lot of women of color in this field especially. “At one of our conferences last year, I was the only Black female in this field.” She went on to talk about how this has also provided a fair bit of challenges, stating, “because of what I look like, I may not be taken seriously. So, I try to get better or change people’s opinion by putting in the work.” However, she noted that most of the challenges she faces do arise from her being relatively new to the job. Wright has been a Safety Preservation Engineer for about two-and-a-half years now and getting contractors to listen to her takes time. “Once they have worked with you a few times they are fine. That is just the stigma.”

COVID-19 did not pose much of a challenge for her and her co-workers. The pandemic, which has widely affected numerous industries seems to have had a smaller impact on the NCDOT’s Division of Aviation. “My position requires me to be in the field some days. With COVID and some of the issues going on in DOT in terms of budget, it was not too bad.” Wright also mentioned that they are picking up now and as more projects come in for the contractors to work on things are looking like they are getting back to normal functioning.

Wright oversees preventive maintenance before it gets to a point where an airport needs capital improvement or maintenance. (submitted)

Wright also commented on her future and what she wants to do in the coming years. As a devoted employee of the NCDOT, she wants to branch out to different divisions. “I would like to look in a different field within NCDOT, maybe traffic. I like more of the specialized units.” Branching out is something that Wright holds highly in her mind. She strongly believes that it is one of the best ways to learn and to ensure that you do not remain stagnant in any field.

Wright is truly an inspiration. She has entered a field that has been devoid of women of color in the past and has started to make a name for herself in the Department of Transportation. She has grown with the job and should serve as an inspiration for many future generations of women of color to chase their dreams into any field they wish. Advising future generations of girls, Wright stated, “I would give them the advice of making sure to get out and do as many internships as possible and do specialized units.” She also spoke of the importance of schooling and encourages all women to take that aspect extremely seriously.

This month, we celebrate Alicia Wright and the numerous women who made strides in industries and occupations that have been predominantly populated by men. It is women like Wright that will become role models for the next generations of female students, and workers.

During Black History Month, NCDOT spotlighted Alicia Wright:

For more information on the NC Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, please visit www.ncdot.gov/divisions/aviation/

60 thoughts on “Alicia Wright: NCDOT Safety Preservation Engineer Oversees Safety Of 62 NC Airports”

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