Academy of Distinguished Alumni

  • Alumni Image #1:
  • Image Caption Title #1: Disch Falk Field - Austin, Texas
  • Image Caption #1: While Harrod’s project experience has been varied, from municipal utilities to county roads to transit stations, she is particularly proud of her site design work for educational clients. For her alma mater, she was the civil projects manager and project engineer for the Almetris Duren Residence Hall, and she provided civil engineering design work at Disch Falk Field, the Library Storage Center and the Texas Advanced Computing Center at JJ Pickle Research Campus.
  • Alumni Image #2:
  • Image Caption Title #2: Texas State University Round Rock Campus - Round Rock, Texas
  • Image Caption #2: Harrod’s project work at MWM DesignGroup over the years include clients such as the City of Austin, Capital Metro, Austin Community College and Texas State University working on large site projects as well as utility and transportation engineering improvements. She also gives back to the engineering community in many ways including serving as Treasurer for the National Society of Professional Engineers.
headshot of Julia Harrod

headshot of Julia Harrod

Julia M. Harrod

MS, University of Texas at Austin, 1994
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990

Julia Harrod is the President and CEO of MWM DesignGroup, a multi-disciplinary firm providing civil engineering, architecture, land surveying, landscape design, and permitting services throughout Texas.  She is recognized for excellence and leadership in her profession and in technical and civic programs. She is also an avid volunteer, from STEM outreach to serving as national treasurer for National Society of Professional Engineers and advocating for the professional engineering community.

After earning her Bachelor of Architectural Design from MIT in 1990, Harrod spent nine months in Bath, England working for an architectural engineering firm. After arriving back in Austin, she began work at Martinez & Wright Engineers (now MWM DesignGroup) as a design technician.  It was here that she changed career paths from architecture to engineering. While still working at MWM, she came to The University of Texas at Austin to complete her education by earning a master’s degree in architectural engineering in 1994.

She now serves as project principal and chief quality control reviewer for all the firm’s engineering and landscape architectural projects. As president of the company, she is also responsible for the firm’s strategic initiatives and financial operations. 

Over the years, clients at MWM include the City of Austin, Capital Metro, Austin Community College, and Texas State University. Julia has overseen large site projects as well as utility and transportation infrastructure improvements.

Julia has also made notable contributions to the engineering profession through advocacy and outreach at both the local and state level. She is currently serving as the National Treasurer of the National Society of Professional Engineers. She has also served as the President of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers and the Austin Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Julia was named State Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers in 2015.