The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has appointed Melinda McGrath (seen above), executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation to serve a two-year term as chair of the organizations Special Committee on Research and Innovation.

The Special Committee on Research and Innovation supports AASHTO, its members, and the transportation community at large by delivering strategic, high-quality research results while addressing development, technology transfer, and implementation.

McGrath started working with the Mississippi DOT in 1985 straight out of college; graduating from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Over the course of her 31-year career with the agency, she’s served in a variety of roles – including project engineer, district area engineer, assistant chief engineer of field operations for five years and deputy executive director/chief engineer for four years – before being appointed as executive director in January 2012.