Paving the way for women in engineering

June 23, 2026

By Laura Butterbrodt

Austin — Becoming an engineer is no easy feat. It can be even more difficult as a woman in a male-dominated field.

Today is International Women in Engineering Day, and TxDOT is proud of the many talented female engineers who work across the state to connect Texas.

Rebecca Lozoya is doing her part to make the journey easier for women to continue joining the engineering field. She’s spent 24 years at TxDOT, currently working as the manager of the Professional Engineering Procurement Services (PEPS) Negotiation Center.

Her career with TxDOT started when she was still a student at the University of Texas El Paso. She started in TxDOT’s engineering rotation program, where she got to try different engineering roles, including construction inspection and traffic engineering.

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“I really appreciate that I got to go out there so early in my career,” she said. “It gave me a lot of perspective that I still use to this day, and different considerations to bring to the table for design.”

Lozoya loves getting to share her knowledge with more women as they join the agency.

“When I graduated from my class there were only a handful of women, and to have so many women coming into engineering now really makes my heart happy,” Lozoya said. “We’ve helped pave the way for the women that come behind us so they don’t have to struggle and they have more opportunities.”

One of these new women in the field is Julianna English, an engineering assistant in Amarillo. She initially started at Texas Tech University planning to become a math teacher, but she turned her love for math into a mechanical engineering degree.

English joined TxDOT three years ago, and she said she appreciates the help and resources from her team as she works to complete her professional engineer license.

“The job is really rewarding, even though it is challenging at times,” English said. “I definitely feel respected by my team, and I bring a different perspective to the table.”

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Nationally, women make up less than 20% of the engineering workforce, but the women at TxDOT are optimistic about the future and honored to be opening doors for future generations of women to join the field.

“I feel like I’m constantly learning new things with TxDOT as a whole, and the ability to have a well-rounded experience with the rotation program helped me get a really good perspective,” Lozoya said. “Jump into it and learn as you go – you get the best experience as you figure things out while you try them.”

Lozoya and English say the best advice they have for young women considering a career in engineering is to go for it.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions and build relationships, so when you do have questions you know who to go to,” English said. “Always show up with a good attitude and show you are willing to put in the work. It goes a long way.”