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The Woman Engineer

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The Woman Engineer WOMEN’S ENGINEERING SOCIETY VOL 20 • NO 2 - SPRING 2019 www.wes.org.uk The Woman Engineer 1919 - 2019 Inside this issue...... WES Student Conference Held in November at Warwick University, the 2018 WES Student Conference put ‘Building sustainable cities and communities’ under the spotlight. Page 4 Also inside ............. Changemakers The women engineers who have helped shape the Women’s Engineering Society and provided a platform for today’s and tomorrow’s inspirational women. Page 9 Portable career choice WES President Dawn Childs urges parents and educators to keep their children’s options Here’s Lottie open by pursuing a STEM subject What to expect from this year’s tour. education. Page 3 Page 6 the woman engineer - spring 2019 1 From the editor’s desk The talking is over, and the celebrations have already begun. Whilst we are delighted to be celebrating the centenary of the Women’s Engineering Society, we are also mindful that this year is about laying foundations for the President’s Message next one hundred years. It is now time to continue our endeavours to The highly anticipated centenary of WES TRANSFORM THE FUTURE, through is finally upon us and there is much to do! I our collective efforts, and shout about can already feel the overflowing energy and FICME passion from all of those engaged in putting it as loud as we can. Lynn Postle, together the many and varied events and focus on professional engineering as celebrations. WES looks to ‘explore, connect and an exciting and rewarding career – for Very fittingly the first event of the year collaborate’, worthy objectives but women and men. to recall, congratulate and thank the only possible through your efforts In short, we will continue to champion ‘changemakers’ was held in January and and continued support. On paper, the cause and to support the rest of proved a great success (see page 9). The we have travelled a great distance the ʻchampionsʼ who are making a event was created and organised by Dr in the UK since 1919 – women have difference every day. Most notably, Jan Peters and many other past Presidents more rights than ever before, we the role models our children can best of the Society and provided a fabulous vote, we are recognised for excelling associate with. launchpad for the coming events. I find in our professions and we have an The ideal way to do this is through it truly overwhelming that even though inclusive family life. However, we are collaboration and in this issue, we look these ladies have already given so much still discussing the same issues from at some of the recent events WES has to promote and engage women engineers, a century ago: too few girls pursuing organised to inform and inspire. their drive and passion is still so vibrant, STEM subjects at school; barriers to There is still much to do, but if the and their legacy continues to provide women progressing in an engineering past 100 years has taught us anything, purpose and meaning to current and future environment, especially at senior level; it is that we are very much up to the generations of women engineers. We really media bias; and a gender pay gap. challenge. Here’s to the next one are very fortunate to have such rich capital Also, despite best efforts, the number of hundred years! resource in terms of energy and expertise women engineers is still low, although and that is why it is so important to ensure recent national campaigns to promote Next issue contribution deadline – that we maximise the potential of our engineering in general have put the 10th April 2019 centenary and really take that leap forward to use the past to very much inspire and transform the future. This is going to be a hectic and WES Annual Conference 2019 exhausting year for all the right reasons so Celebrating the Past – don’t miss ensure that your safety belt is fastened, hold Transforming the Future on, enjoy the ride and let’s really accelerate WES Centenary Members’ our movement towards women making up 15th March – London (closing date for 30 per cent of the engineering profession registration: 4th March) Lunch by 2030! Join in the celebrations and the debate 23rd June - Ognisko, the Polish Club Dawn Childs MA MDA BEng CEng FICE FIMechE www.wes.org.uk/events in Kensington, London FRAeS FWES Tickets cost £70.00. WES Centenary Gala Dinner Contact: Grazyna Whapshott, New team member 21st June – IET, Savoy Place, London email: [email protected] WES welcomes Jo Weaver to the head office Tickets available for £249, Tables of team. Jo is working in the WES office as a Project 10 for £2,019, or £1,919 for more than Co-ordinator delivering INWED. one. Jo has recently returned from travelling and Contact: [email protected] Check the WES website working abroad. Prior to this she worked in for more events and the charity sector delivering events. WES CEO International Women in Elizabeth Donnelly said: “We are confident that, Engineering Day updates with Jo’s support, INWED 2019 will be another great success.” 23rd June – Global www.wes.org.uk Jo can be contacted at [email protected] www.inwed.org.uk addressed to: The Woman Engineer is subscription price of £30.00 Engineer should be sent published by the Women’s per annum (inc postage). to the Editor at the same The Secretary, Women’s Engineering Society. It is Send subscription orders to address. Engineering Society distributed free of charge WES. Cheques should be Michael Faraday House The views expressed in this to members of the Society made payable to: Women’s journal are not necessarily The Women’s Engineering Six Hills Way and to selected professional Engineering Society. STEVENAGE SG1 2AY the views of the Society. Society is a charity women engineers, scientists wes1919 registered with the Charity Tel: 01438 765506 and women undergraduates. Overseas subscriptions: Commission No. 1008913 Email: [email protected] price by surface mail is and a company limited by www.wes.org.uk Produced by: Rivers Media, £40.00 per annum. Sterling @wes1919 guarantee registered in www.rivers-media.co.uk cheques or bank drafts England No. 162096. The Woman Engineer should be made payable Women’s All correspondence Editor: Lynn Postle FICME Subscriptions: the journal to Women’s Engineering Engineering Society regarding membership and Email: [email protected] is available to non-WES Society. All items for the work of WES should be members in the UK at a inclusion in The Woman ©The Woman Engineer 2019 2 the woman engineer - spring 2019 Should I stay, or should I go? Engineers have more choice The promotion of engineering as a portable career choice with wide reaching opportunities, is how new WES President Dawn Childs MA MDA BEng CEng FICE FIMechE FRAeS FWES believes we can attract future generations of engineers – whatever their gender. he new WES President told The Woman Engineer that the chance to During her presidential term Dawn is keen to move between disciplines within the same sector is something that not work with WES to publicise an increasing number of all careers facilitate and yet it is very much a requirement of today’s role models and she also wants to develop the WES workforce. “This is more appealing to Millennials as they like portable Fellowships to ensure we encourage more women careers, they won’t stick around for a lifetime as they want to experience to achieve the honour. “We must promote women Ta wide variety of roles,” she said. Indeed, Dawn is a shining example of this engineers in senior positions and not shy away from – she has a degree in mechanical engineering, has spent two decades in the this.” Dawn is convinced that women should be aeronautical sector then civil sector and is now having to create terminology to less humble when it comes to singing their praises. describe her current role in the entertainment industry as it didn’t exist before. “We are also working with the Royal Academy of She is quite literally a ‘high flyer’, having spent 23 years in the RAF, before Engineering to provide a baseline to see what barriers taking up the role of Head of Engineering at Gatwick Airport in 2012. It was women engineers have encountered that block their whilst in this position at Britain’s second largest airport that a further opportunity progression. We need an action plan to tackle these to diversify arose when she was head-hunted for a newly created position at barriers and we must find the tools to help them. Merlin Entertainments where she is now Group Engineering Director. Also, we need to be able to help companies to see Dawn takes up the story: “The role covers four continents, 120 sites and has that the barriers exist in their organisations.” an enormous breadth of diversity – from ski resorts and aquariums to traditional She is also mindful that the whole supply chain theme parks. It has been quite literally a ‘rollercoaster’ with lots to do, lots of is important, “Women can be fantastic in SMEs, travel and plenty of different aspects to get my head around.” but they sometimes don’t see themselves as having Dawn joined Merlin in the post-Smiler crash era and she is able to bring a a role there. We shouldn’t just be looking at larger wealth of regulatory experience into the unregulated entertainment industry. “Of companies as SMEs are hugely important.” course it is very complex working with sites in so many parts of the world and Whilst Dawn’s enthusiasm is helping to drive with so many different variations of legislation and varied types of maintenance WES, especially in this very special centenary year, and methods.
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