Leading the Way for Women

As associate and project manager at Gresham Smith, Rebecca Murray leads complex transportation projects from design to reality. She is known for her adept ability to braid technical rigor with stakeholder engagement and industry advocacy.

For her expertise, advocacy and ability to wear so many hats as a leader, Murray earned a spot Roads & Bridges’ inaugural Top 25 Under 40.

“I nominated Rebecca because she pairs top-tier credentials with measurable impact on complex transportation projects and the communities we serve,” said Bert Moore, Gresham Smith’s regional transportation leader – Gulf.

Since joining the Gresham Smith team in 2020, Murray has quickly ascended through the ranks to now serve as project manager, overseeing a portfolio that represents 25% of the firm’s net revenue for all the projects undertaken in Louisiana.

Murray has sought several advanced certifications to grow her knowledge in the field. She has received certifications for professional traffic operations engineer and road safety professional (RSP), for which she was among the state’s early certificate holders. These certifications not only demonstrate her technical achievements but also her dedication to the traveling public through minimizing risks and promoting safety and efficiency.

Throughout her career, Murray has thrown her efforts into boosting the position of women in the industry. She is a founding member of Louisiana’s chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), which has more than tripled in size from 20 members since its establishment in 2015 to now including two chapters in southern Louisiana.

She served a two-year term as president of the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter and was named local committee chair at the WTS Annual Conference in New Orleans in 2024.

Her leadership and promotion of women in transportation have earned her several awards including WTS Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s Member of the Year in 2018 and Young Engineer of the Year in 2023.

Moore said that Murray has supported the next generation of women in the industry through ITE scholarships for students in Louisiana and Mississippi.

At Gresham Smith, Murray has been recognized for her ability to develop strategic safety plans and streamline resources to raise standards of practice. She has chaired the firm’s Traffic Safety Technical Leadership Group, where she worked to align experts across service lines and expand RSP certifications firmwide. She earned the firm’s Award of Excellence in 2021 for exemplifying the firm’s values and elevating technical supports across offices.

Murray took part in the creation of a web tool for crash diagram automation after working on several safety studies in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. She led the development of data-driven visualizations for solid waste operations and airport curbside planning to better display plans to project stakeholders and resulted in an improved design quality.

Moore called Murray “an innovator,” who helped improve “both design quality and stakeholder confidence.”

Murray was an integral part of the Interstate-40 Interchange at Donelson Pike Relocation — a project that was named No. 7 on the 2025 Roads & Bridges Top 10 Roads Awards — as she secured federal approvals through her submission of an Interchange Access Request, which required that she demonstrate public benefit.

Reducing roadway fatalities amid increased vehicular distractions is the industry’s biggest challenge, according to Murray.

“Infrastructure improvements can only go so far in crash reduction; we urgently need strategies to better address driver behavior,” Murray said. “The rise of connected vehicle technology presents a significant opportunity, yet achieving widespread implementation will take time given the diversity and age of the current vehicle fleet. Balancing technological progression with effective behavior change strategies will be key in driving meaningful safety improvements.”

Her advice to young professionals is to embrace flexibility.

“While planning for your future provides direction, some of your richest experiences will come from embracing unexpected pathways,” she said. “Opportunities often appear in unplanned places, and these can foster immense personal and professional growth if you're willing to pivot.”