Transportation group names Bottomley Woman of the Year

Dr. Laura Bottomley, director of the Engineering Place outreach program at North Carolina State University, has been named the 2011 Woman of the Year by the NC Triangle Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS).

Bottomley is being honored for her contributions to the development of current and future leaders in the transportation industry and advancing the “reputations and credibility of women in transportation,” the organization said in a statement. She will be recognized at the group’s 14th Annual Awards Banquet in April.

WTS is an international organization made up of female transportation professionals from many different fields. It is dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation.

Bottomley’s programs reach more than 5,000 students, 200 teachers, and 500 parents each year. She is also the director of NC State’s Women in Engineering program, which aims to boost the number of female engineering students.

Bottomley received her BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1984 and 1985, respectively. She received her PhD in electrical engineering from NC State in 1992.