Hal Ferris | At-large Trustee
Class of 1978, Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering
Why I Serve
I hail from a long line of engineers dating to the 1800s. In fact, a relative of mine invented the Ferris wheel! I earned an engineering degree and my UW journey helped parlay my training into the construction side, which suited my passions.
I enjoy the process of things physically coming together. Moving an idea from paper to something tangible appeals to me. You leave a legacy that outlasts the moment.
As a UW student, I seized on hands-on learning and projects. Once, we were tasked with designing and constructing concrete canoes to race against other schools. Of course, ours was completed with a purple “W” on the side. It was water-worthy and was housed at the Conibear Shellhouse. I enjoyed taking it out on warm, spring days. It was comically heavy, though!
In my construction and development career, I have developed and consulted for dozens of UW and other Universities projects with a particular focus on student housing. Over 20 years, I shepherded over a billion dollars of building projects on the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses. It is particularly rewarding knowing these projects benefit students. The work further inspired my wife and I to found the Ferris Family Scholarship for Housing to ensure equitable access to student housing for those in need.
My time as a UW student was transformative and all three of my children are Huskies. As a Trustee, I want to continue building opportunities for current and future students to become lifelong learners.
