International Women In Engineering Day ’23: 6 remarkable women prioritising safety in engineering
Today we commemorate a decade of the Women In Engineering Society’s International Women In Engineering Day.
To mark this year’s ‘Make Safety Seen’ theme, we had the pleasure of speaking with six remarkable individuals with diverse connections to the Faculty of Engineering.
We were keen to hear more about how they are prioritising safety in and through their work…
Sara Ibrahim, Aerospace Student: Making safety seen by advancing research for safer and more sustainable aircraft
As a current Aerospace Engineering student, Sara has developed a deep passion for designing safer and more sustainable aircraft. Sara’s research is all about taking inspiration from nature to find solutions to aviation and wider global challenges. And she’s recently got some pretty prestigious accolades under her belt too!
Read Sara’s story
Tanya James, Engineering Mathematics graduate: Making safety seen by providing humanitarian aid through technology
Tanya, a recent graduate and now Engineer at Apple, conducted vital research during her final year at the University. As part of her Engineering Mathematics project, she focused on revolutionising humanitarian aid delivery using drones. Collaborating with a start-up, she developed optimised strategies for the safe delivery of food supplies to remote refugee camps.
Read Tanya’s story
Neha Chandarana, Lecturer and EDI champion: Making safety seen by championing engineering as a safe space for all
With a vision to transform the Engineering community, bio-based composites lecturer, Neha Chandarana, is combining her love for teaching with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Through various initiatives that she’s involved with, she is empowering individuals from across the faculty, fostering an atmosphere that enables everyone to thrive and contribute to the field of engineering.
Read Neha’s story
Chloe Martindale, Lecturer and Widening Participation Co-Lead: Making safety seen by prioritising our safety online
Chloe, a lecturer in Computer Science and devoted mum of one was inspired to pursue engineering from a young age. Encouraged by her primary school teacher, she developed a lifelong love for mathematics. Now specialising in Cryptography, she develops algorithms to protect sensitive online information from potential attacks, including those from quantum computers.
Read Chloe’s story
Julie Etches, Safety Manager and Advisor: Making safety seen by prioritising staff and student safety
As Safety Manager and Advisor for the Faculty of Engineering, Julie has dedicated eight years to ensuring the safe execution of teaching and research here at the University. With a background in materials engineering and a deep understanding of the faculty’s work, she introduces incremental changes to enhance existing practices and takes great pride in being able to help others at the University with their lifechanging research.
Read Julie’s story
Rainaa Ahmed, Research Technician: Making safety seen by adopting safe working practices in our large-scale testing facility
Research Technician Rainaa plays a crucial role in maintaining safety within the Faculty’s SoFSI facility — a laboratory renowned for enabling infrastructure design and testing on a large-scale. With daily responsibilities that involve assisting with ongoing research and commercial projects, managing lab operations, and ensuring adherence to safe practices, Rai’s journey into Engineering started with an apprenticeship opportunity at the University, and she hasn’t looked back since!
Read Rai’s story