WES Annual Conference 2019 Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Future Friday 15 March 2019 RAF Museum, London Celebrating one hundred years of the Women’s Engineering Society #WES100 WELCOME Welcome to the Women’s Engineering Society’s Centenary Conference, held at the RAF Museum, London. Celebrating leading WES chose the 2019 theme, Celebrating The Past, Transforming The Future to women in engineering reflect on the last 100 years and to look forward to what our future might hold. You will find a celebration of our heritage in the Exhibition Hall with the WES Centenary Trail The Academy showcases inspirational women in engineering to and a display of a fraction of our historic collections cared for by the IET Archives. Though celebrate the diversity of the profession www.raeng.org.uk/IWD2019 it would be easy just to enjoy our rich legacy, it comes from the many women pioneers who looked to their future and WES continues to look forward with the Poster Competition organised by the Young Members’ Board. The display showcases the talents of the early career engineers who will play a key role in transforming our future. Our wonderful range of speakers bring their inspirational experiences and support of women Dr Hayaatun Sillem FIET is CEO of the in engineering to our Conference and the afternoon breakout discussions look at key issues of Royal Academy of Engineering the future: “Vision for WES – the next 100 years”; “Men as Allies?” and “Breaking the Mould”. “Through engineering, you create wealth, you create jobs, you These will enhance WES’ future planning, so please do contribute your thoughts to these create products and services that benefit people. Engineering and important discussions. technology play a significant role in so many aspects of our lives.” We are very grateful for the generous support of the Royal Academy of Engineering, our Headline Sponsor, and Meggitt, our Exhibition Sponsor. Our thanks go to Sally Sudworth who has chaired the Conference Planning Committee over the past two years, and to Professor Anne Trefethen FREng is Dr. Jo Douglas-Harris who organised the Young Members Board Poster Competition. Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford “I like everything about being an engineer – after all, engineers invent, design, build, and analyse all kinds of neat stuff. What’s not to like? Of course, you also get to meet other engineers.” Elizabeth Donnelly Dawn Childs Chief Executive Officer President Women’s Engineering Society Women’s Engineering Society Dr Barbara Lane FREng is a Director and Technology Group UK leader at Arup “No day is ever the same. I can’t ever remember feeling bored at work or feeling like it’s ‘just a job’. I am genuinely inspired and motivated by the scale and scope of the ideas and initiatives that we can participate in.” CONTENT Since 2011, the Academy has been leading a programme to enhance diversity and inclusion across engineering. We are working towards our vision of an inclusive profession that attracts and retains people from diverse backgrounds by partnering with 2 The RAF Museum engineering employers and institutions externally, and Fellows and employees internally, 3 Agenda of the day to remove barriers and develop more inclusive cultures. 4 Speakers Biographies 8 Delegates List 10 WES Centenary Trail 12 IET Archive For more on the D&I Programme, visit www.raeng.org.uk/engdiversity To find out more email [email protected] 1 Follow us on social media @RAEngNews #EngDiversity Agenda 9.30am Registration PART ONE - OUR CHALLENGE 10.00am Welcome and Introduction Elizabeth Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Engineering Society 10.20am KEYNOTE: Leading from the front through changing times Mandy Hickson, Ex-fighter Pilot, RAF and motivational speaker 10.50am Facing the facts Eva Tutchell and John Edmonds, Authors of ‘Man-Made: Why So Few Women Are in Positions of Power?’ (2015) and ‘The Stalled revolution: Is equality for women an impossible dream?’ (2017) 11.30am Tea and coffee break and networking leading into poster session PART TWO – OUR POTENTIAL 11.45am Poster session: Engineering a better world Thanks to the WES Young Members’ Board for coordinating this session WES Heritage Display showcasing the WES Centenary Trail (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund) and the WES archives care for by the IET’s Library and Archive team The RAF Museum 12.30pm Lunch (poster session and WES heritage exhibition continues) The RAF Museum will be showcasing the new STEM and Heritage Programme which 1.30pm Transforming the future - Panel discussion: Chaired by Jan Peters Panel: Sophie launched in September 2018. Expanding an already popular History-based schools pro- Hutchins, Chair, WES Young Members’ Board, Rachel Higham Managing Director of IT, gramme, new interactive STEM workshops and activities ask students to explore ques- British Telecom; Air Marshal Sue Gray, RAF. tions such as ‘How do pilots stay alive in the air?’, ‘Should drones be allowed in our skies?’ and ‘Do you have what it take to engineer a successful supply drop?’. Come and discover 2.00pm Parallel sessions: Attendees should choose between the below 3 sessions: what the Access & Learning team in consultation with local schools and STEM specialists Breakout session 1: Vision for WES – the next 100 years and with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund have developed. Breakout session 2: Men as Allies? Breakout session 3: Breaking the Mould 2.30pm Tea and coffee break. View the findings from the other break out groups and add your thoughts to their flipcharts. RAF Stories… PART THREE: OUR FUTURE 3.00pm KEYNOTE: 30% Club – Promoting Diversity Emma Howard-Boyd, Chair, RAF Stories is a digital project that engages both contemporary and historical interpretations Environment Agency of the RAF. The aim of RAF Stories is to collect stories and memoirs, from anyone with any experience of the Royal Air Force, whether serving themselves, a veteran, family connections 3.30pm WES: The next 100 Dawn Childs, WES President or enthusiasts. The project records this intangible heritage and makes it available for an expansive and diverse range of audiences across all the Museum’s public-facing digital DRINKS RECEPTION 4.00pm until 6.30pm channels, including online, in gallery, mobile and social. The project consists of a website Networking Drinks Reception In the RAF Museum’s new RAF at 100 displays (rafstories.org) and story collecting mobile app (www.rafstories.org/participate/get-the-app). 2 3 Speakers Biographies Mandy Hickson Elizabeth Donnelly 10.20 am - “Leading from the Front” 10.00 am - Welcome and Introduction. Finding a love of flying early in life, Mandy fought hard to achieve her After an early career in IT, Elizabeth graduated from the Open University, ambition to be a Royal Air Force pilot. She was only the second woman specialising in systems thinking. She was awarded Membership of the to fly a Tornado GR4 on the front line, completing three tours of duty Royal Aeronautical Society as a result of her work with Rolls-Royce and and 45 missions over Iraq. She became the Squadron’s Combat Survival went on to lead skills policy in the aerospace industry. Elizabeth chaired and Rescue Officer, working closely with the US, instructing Squadron the RAeS Education and Skills Committee and was Deputy Chair and members on Escape and Evasion tactics. Throughout her time, Mandy founder member of its Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee. was the only female aircrew and later learned the lessons of juggling Elizabeth also founded the RAeS Amy Johnson Named Lecture. Later, life as a working mother of two young children. Now a civilian, Mandy Elizabeth established her own consulting company, graduated with an draws on her experiences to train and inspire others, covering the core MSc in Systems Thinking in 2017 and in 2018 was appointed CEO of areas of human factors; decision making, communication, leadership, the Women’s Engineering Society. behaviour, workload, conflict, fatigue and stress management. She is a highly sought after keynote speaker in the business and education sectors. Since leaving the RAF, she continues her support for the services in the Volunteer Reserve (VR), through flying on the Air Experience Flight, passing on her experience and enjoyment of flying to Air Cadets. A keen sportswoman in her spare time, Mandy enjoys playing tennis, Eva Tutchell & John Edmonds spinning, cycling and hill walking. In the winter the slopes often are calling to her for some fast paced skiing! 10.50 am - The Stalled Revolution: Is Equality for Women an Impossible Dream? Eva Tutchell is an expert on gender issues, advising public authorities on challenges and solutions. Starting out as a secondary school teacher, Sally Sudworth Eva’s work has covered all age groups. Her book, Dolls and Dungarees is recommended reading for primary school teachers; she has researched Conference Chair the attitudes of teenagers and particularly of teenage boys; she has Sally is a Fellow of the Women’s Engineering Society and a Fellow of published guidance for schools and colleges on disordered eating and the Institution of Civil Engineers. She is a chartered civil engineer and has developed and taught a module on gender for use in university chartered environmentalist working at the Environment Agency as MA courses. National Program Manager for Asset Management. She is also the lead for sustainability for flood and coast. Sally is passionate about delivering John Edmonds is a trade unionist and specialist in work organisation. sustainable low carbon solutions for the benefit of communities both in For nearly twenty years John was General Secretary of the 700,000 the UK and in sub-Sahara Africa (through her work with engineering member GMB trade union where he increased the representation of charity Engineers for Overseas Development ( EFOD)).