Book Club with Patricia Leavenworth - Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
On Thursday, February 10th please join the WTS-Boston Professional Development Committee for a Book Club discussion with Patricia Leavenworth. The conversation will revolve around the book by Neil Swidey, titled ‘Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness’.
Thursday, February 10, 2022
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Virtual via Zoom
The book chronicles the harrowing story of five men who were sent into a dark, airless tunnel hundreds of feet under Massachusetts Bay to do a nearly impossible job - with deadly results. Trapped Under the Sea reminds us that behind every bridge, highway, dam, and tunnel - behind the infrastructure that makes modern life possible - lies unsung bravery and extraordinary sacrifice.
Patty will lead us in a thought provoking discussion about the lessons we can learn and underlying themes present in the shocking true tale.
Patty has worked at MassDOT for 35 years in various roles throughout her career. Currently, she is Acting District 2 Highway Director and Western Massachusetts Director of Operations where she is MassDOT’s primary liaison to the region’s constituents and communities. Patty served as MassDOT’s Chief Engineer P.E., (Highway Division) June 2013-2021 where she and her teams worked to deliver a $1 Billion Construction program annually on hundreds of projects in 351 towns and cities across Massachusetts. Graduating from Norwich University, ‘87 B.S. Civil Engineer and M.S. Civil Engineering ’99 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Patty started her career in Worcester, MA in 1987 and has worked in various positions including Design Engineer, District Environmental Engineer, and District 4 Highway Director. Some of her major accomplishments include development of a District Construction Database, overseeing a $16 million cable-stayed bridge in Fitchburg, and managed the award-winning Fast 14 project that replaced 14 bridges in 10 weekends on I-93 in Medford, MA. Patty was named WTS-Boston Woman of the Year in 2019 and American Public Works Association (APWA) Manager of the Year in 2020. She is also engaged in national innovative committees with TRB, improving project delivery, MassDOT’s Stakeholder Partnering Working Group and mentoring engineers in MassDOT’s Mentoring Program.
Consider borrowing the book from the Boston Public Library (available in multiple formats), or buying from your neighborhood bookstore, or buying online: