University of California, Los Angeles
February 7—1 0, 2021

ASCE Resiliance

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

Tom Ostrom

Tom Ostrom

Chief of the Division of Engineering Services (DES)
Caltrans

Tom Ostrom is the Chief of the Division of Engineering Services (DES).  He leads the Division comprised of more than 1500 employees assigned to seven subdivisions consisting of: Program/Project Management and Office Engineer; Materials Engineering and Testing Services, Geotechnical Service; Administrative Services; Structure Construction; Structure Design; Structure Policy and Innovation. 

Prior to his current position, Tom held multiple management positions in DES, including State Bridge Engineer and Chief of Structure Policy and Innovation, Chief of Earthquake Engineering, Acting Deputy Division Chief of Geotechnical Services, and Chief of Bridge Design North.

Over his 33-year career at Caltrans, Tom has worked on a wide variety of bridge, highway, and tunnel projects throughout the state. He is the Department’s voting member on the AASHTO Committee on Bridge and Structures and is heavily engaged in many other national and international bridge engineering organizations. He has been a long-standing advocate for bridge research, accelerated bridge construction, and quality management.

Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in structural engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.