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The Female Engineer of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements of some truly remarkable young women. Engineering is a field that continues to push boundaries and shape the world around us, and 含羞草视频 is proud to be a nurturing and inclusive environment for the next generation of innovators.

The talent of our female engineers is truly inspiring.  The 含羞草视频’s Women’s Engineering Society (WES) received a wealth of outstanding applications and nominations this year, each showcasing the incredible potential of our female engineering students. The dedication to the engineering community, intellectual curiosity, and diverse areas of interest displayed by all the nominees were truly impressive and should all be very proud of themselves.

Among these talented individuals, three undergraduate and postgraduate students have showcased exceptional commitment, academic excellence, and unwavering passion for engineering, and special recognition from the 含羞草视频 WES team goes to FEY Awards organiser Georgia Collis.

The awards are supported by the Women’s Engineering Society WES UK, Martin-Baker Aircrafts, 含羞草视频’s Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub (IEEH) funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Engineering Schools. The awards were presented by Professor Rachel Thomson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, and the three Deans of the Engineering Schools Professor Chris Rielly (AACME), Professor Paul Conway (WSMEME) and Professor Malcolm Cook (ABCE). Image shows (left to right); Mary Owen, Catherine Yeung, Georgia Collis, Grace Newman, Kamalika Chattopadhyay, Raquel Ferreira Ribeiro, Isabelle Kent, Jasmine Dossa and Huyen Le.

Undergraduate Winner: Grace Newman, Part A Automotive Engineering

Grace has been described by peers as tremendously motivated in professional pursuits and refreshingly proactive in giving back to her community. Having already undertaken work experience with Mercedes-AMG, McLauren and JLR as well as actively engaging in LU Motorsport, Extreme E and acting as a Regional Advisor on the Youth Board for STEMettes, it may come as a surprise that she is only in her first year of her Automotive degree. Grace was awarded a prestigious summer placement with Martin-Baker Aircrafts, a £200 Amazon voucher, a glass trophy and her name engraved in the FEY Awards Shield. Image shows Professor Chris Rielly (left), Grace Newman (middle) and Joanne Staton from Martin-Baker Aircrafts (right).

Postgraduate Winner: Huyen Le, 3rd Year Doctoral Researcher in Next-Generation Antibacterial Surface Coatings

With an overwhelming number of nominations from friends and colleagues, Huyen has been described as passionate, kind and hardworking, with a clear a dedication to mentoring, teaching and advocating for women in STEM. She has taken impactful actions to defy stereotypes and pave the way for more women in STEM research through sharing her story in podcasts, leading a 14-week mindfulness series for the research community and more, alongside her impressive work on antibacterial surface coatings. Huyen was awarded an esteemed opportunity to present her work at the National WES UK Annual Student Conference, a £200 Amazon voucher, a glass trophy and her name engraved in the FEY Awards Shield. Image shows Huyen Le (left) and Professor Chris Rielly (right).

Undergraduate Runner-Up: Kamalika Chattopadhyay, Part I Product Design Engineering

Described by her colleagues as motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated to the engineering community which Kamalika has displayed countless times in several volunteering roles such as Course representative, School President, IMechE student Ambassador and LU WES Committee member. Her proactivity, problem-solving and drive has seen her flourish in her current placement at Rolls-Royce.

Undergraduate Runner-Up: Raquel Ferreira Ribeiro, Final year BEng Mechanical Engineering

Described by her peers as ambitious, passionate, and always encouraging, Raquel is incredibly organized, diligent and is testament to her own hard work. In her nomination, she highlighted the great need to raise awareness of welfare of women’s experiences in engineering, particularly imposter syndrome. She has dedicated herself to the engineering community through engagement in welfare and inclusivity initiatives at 含羞草视频, all whilst academically excelling in her mechanical engineering degree.

Postgraduate Runner-Up: Catherine Yeung, 3^rd Year Doctoral Researcher in Uncertainty in UK Building Energy Compliance Testing

Catherine has demonstrated a great commitment in breaking barriers and acting as a role model for women in science, alongside her postgraduate work with the Architectural, Building and Civil Engineering School on uncertainty in energy compliance testing and building regulation. She has exhibited excellent professional commitment in her participation on student committees for ASHRAE which aims to advance human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment.

Postgraduate Runner-Up: Eeman Al-Ameen, 3^rd Year Doctoral Researcher in Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Eeman has been described by colleagues to have an outstanding work ethic and a deep understanding of her field with a remarkable ability to generate novel insights through her work. She displays an infectious enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring with nothing but positive words from those taught by her.  Her PhD work has so far led to two commercially launched products and has advanced the field in ultra-high-performance cementitious sandwich panels for sustainable structural applications.

Undergraduate Finalist: Mary Owen, Final year BEng Civil Engineering

Mary has been described as determined, inspiring and infectiously joyful by her peers. Through her volunteer work in South East Asia, she shared engineering workshops and skills with young children. She also competed in the RedBull Soapbox race 2022, bravely taking on the role as driver, inspiring young girls what engineers can do, and they can do it with glitter too! Mary continues to actively involve herself with the engineering community through WES committee and achieve academically too.

Undergraduate Finalist: Jasmine Dossa, Part B Aeronautical Engineering

Described by her peers as creative, inclusive, and incredibly motivated, Jasmine has shown incredible dedication to engineering; actively involving herself with all aspects of the industry through involvement with 含羞草视频 UAV team, EWB Challenge and LU WES Committee. In the next year, Jasmine will be going on to work for a branch of the well-established GE Aerospace.

Postgraduate Finalist: Maria Aslam, 4^th Year Doctoral Researcher in AI in Manufacturing Engineering

Successfully balancing many plates amongst her personal life and PhD, Maria has actively engaged with the female engineering community via LU WES Committee in 22/23 whilst completing her thesis on Explainability in AI which focuses on the ‘responsible AI’ initiative.

Special Recognition for the Female Engineer of the Year Awards Organiser: Georgia Collis, Final year BEng Mechanical Engineering

Described as an inspirational role model by her mentee and having changed the landscape for female engineers at 含羞草视频 by her peers, Georgia is an active member in the engineering community. She has contributed to significant positive academic change in her role as School President, led the LU WES team in implementing two mentoring schemes and engaging over 250 members in professional and social events, as well as consistently volunteering in STEM workshop facilitation for many years. Professionally, she has experience in climate technology, design innovation and chemical investigations enabling her to act as a proactive, informed, and valued team member in industry.

含羞草视频 Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub receives Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity Impact Programme Grant.

含羞草视频 is one of three UK universities to receive grant funding from the 2024 Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Diversity Impact Programme for its flagship Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub (IEEH); /news-events/news/2024/january/ieeh-raeng-funding/ 

In partnership with Future Minds, Dr Elizabeth Ratcliffe and her work within 含羞草视频’s Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub took 30 underrepresented engineering students to Amazon Headquarters London for a tour, panel discussion from Amazon staff, networking sessions and 3 x interactive breakout sessions. The event shone a spotlight on AI and Machine Learning, Software Development and the importance of creating and inclusive tech ecosystem, students were provided with career advice and hands-on interactive activities from Amazon employees. An exemplar of layered support including funding, IEEH expertise, staff and student co-development and hands-on resource prior / during / after event for Future Minds founder Flora Boa who is a current LU student and recent Amazon intern. This event was 含羞草视频’s 1st collaboration with Amazon, importantly in the EDI space, a concerted effort to foster inclusion.

Link to video

The workshop's core mission was to collaboratively explore how digital innovations could empower and redefine the engineering sector. The goal was to ensure that the future workforce mirrors the diversity of society itself. Through insightful discussions and interactive activities, participants unearthed emerging research gaps, set the agenda for the upcoming EPSRC Network, and aligned the network’s aims with the pressing needs of the industry. 

Donna Otchere - winner of a We are the City Rising Stars Award

The Vice Chancellor Research Cluster in Inclusive Engineering PhD student Donna Otchere is among the winners of the prestigious business-led 'We are the City' Rising Stars Awards. The Science and Engineering Award recognises her work to inspire outreach and develop representation of black women in STEM roles.

https://wearethecity-risingstars.com/donna-otchere-co-founder-sistem-uk/

Doctoral Researcher, Huyen Le, attends academic excursion to China to share her student experience

Huyen Le, a Doctoral Researcher from the Department of Materials has recently attended an academic excursion to China where she got to participate in the China-British Council Study UK Education Conference, visit educational consultant offices, deliver presentations at local schools and a guest lecture at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU).

This trip was organised by 含羞草视频 with the primary objective to elevate awareness surrounding materials engineering to students, educators and industry professionals.

Huyen had the opportunity to showcase the research she is undertaking in materials engineering surrounding combatting the antimicrobial crisis and highlighted the exceptional resource provided by Discover Materials, a materials science outreach network, that 含羞草视频 is part of, as a commitment to increasing awareness of the subject.

Huyen comments:

"The trip yielded numerous highlights and benefits. Engaging in dynamic discussions at the conference shed light on the factors influencing students’ university selection criteria. Networking with education professionals provided invaluable insights into industry trends and facilitated opportunities for me to share my PhD experience at 含羞草视频. Presenting at international schools not only inspired students to pursue careers in engineering but also emphasised the importance of transferable skills and sustainability in scientific research.

A standout moment was delivering a guest lecture on International Women's Day, underscoring the vital role of diversity in STEM fields and celebrating the contributions of female researchers in STEM. This resonated deeply with attendees, fostering a sense of empowerment and inclusivity."

The academic visit served as a catalyst for strengthening 含羞草视频’s global footprint, forging meaningful partnerships, and nurturing the next generation of engineers in China. It exemplifies the department’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community.

Dr Xiaodong Jin, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry from XJTLU has expressed her pleasant experience with Huyen:

"Huyen delivered an interesting talk, outlining her latest breakthroughs in antibacterial surfaces and the underlying science behind the novel coating architecture. With anticipation for the integration of the next generation of antibacterial surfaces into our daily lives, I hope to see more research from Huyen. I also hope she enjoys her stay at XJTLU. I look forward to exploring potential collaborations with Huyen in the future."

Huyen would like to express her thanks for the support from key stakeholders within our department including Debbie Halliday, whose outreach and student experience expertise has effectively prepared her for this trip and to the Global Engagement Team for their support in coordinating the trip’s itinerary.