As a structural designer for Farnsworth Group, Paige Dodson has spent the last seven years applying her design and development skills to facilities in healthcare, education, government and other fields. She has been involved in more than a dozen notable design projects throughout the region, including the Cancer Research Center at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Harrison Homes and the Peoria Public Library’s North Branch.

A passionate advocate for STEM learning and women in engineering, Dodson reaches out to students about career opportunities in STEM and helps guide young women through STEM camps and related activities. She is active in a number of professional organizations, including the American Institute of Steel Construction, American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, which she serves as a scholarship reviewer, assessing the applications of incoming college freshmen. She also fills a leadership role in the annual 4G STEM Camp for Girls, mentoring and introducing middle-school girls to the engineering field.

Dodson regularly helps plan and coordinate activities for her fellow employees, including the company’s United Way fundraising efforts and its team for Miracle Treat Day, a benefit for Children’s Hospital of Illinois. She has also been a telethon VIP for Children’s Hospital and an active participant in St. Jude Runs. She organized the Peoria area’s first Girls on the Run event, promoting positive development for third through eighth graders through interactive lessons and running games, and culminating with a celebratory 5K. She also volunteers at Kim’s Academy of Dance—substitute teaching, organizing costumes, selling tickets, painting scenery and helping out backstage.

Described as a seasoned leader with vision, intuitiveness, altruism, good nature and optimism, Dodson completed her master’s degree in civil engineering at Bradley University in 2014. In her spare time, she enjoys Crossfit, running, dance and watching her favorite sports teams—the St. Louis Cardinals and the Fighting Illini. iBi