To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, five young women engineers have been announced as finalists for the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards 2024.
These prestigious engineering industry awards celebrate women working in modern engineering – and aim to help change the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls.
Alexia Williams (25), Erin Lowe (19), Marisa Kurimbokus (34), Natalie Parker (30) and Salma Al Arefi (33) have all been shortlisted for awards. The finalists are:
Alexia Williams
Alexia is a Through Life Technical Lead at Rolls-Royce Plc. Alexia improves assets throughout their life, utilising data and information collected to make informed decisions to extend the products operation life and reduce maintenance periods.
Alexia is the current Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Apprentice Panel, she is the Apprentice Representative in the UCAS Apprenticeship Stakeholder group, she is on the IMechE Bath and Bristol Young Members Panel, as well as being the Apprentice Representative on the IET Young Members Panel.
Over the last year she has contributed over 200 hours to promoting STEM to the younger generation through Air Shows, Careers Fairs, Conferences and in schools. She is passionate about encouraging more women to go into engineering especially via an apprenticeship.
Erin Lowe
Erin is an Apprentice Electrical Engineer at Yamazaki Mazak UK, where she wires electrical components, looms cables, carries out earth testing and electrically adjusts the CV5-500 machining centre.
Over the last year, Erin has also delivered customer and public educational tours of the European Manufacturing plant, as well as attend numerous career and trade fairs, giving outreach presentations and providing regular support to the cadetship programme.
Marisa Kurimbokus
Marisa is a Chartered Engineer with a career spanning over a decade in product design and systems engineering within the automotive and power electronics industries, including Jaguar Land Rover, Triumph Motorcycles and Lyra Electronics. Most recently, Marisa was Head of Engineering and Product Development at Aeristech, where she led a multi-disciplinary engineering design team to create high speed air compressors, primarily for hydrogen fuel cell applications.
She was listed in the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Inventors and Innovators in 2022 for her work in net-zero and green technology and she supports developing engineers through their careers, providing mentoring for university students through to engineers applying for Professional Registration.
Natalie Parker
Natalie is a Technical Specialist and Manager for Operational Technology Group at Sellafield. She provides technical and assurance support to front line engineering teams and wider projects. Natalie works to support and develop an offsite central location that allows engineers to share problems, innovate ideas and learn from experience.
As the co-lead of Sellafield’s Women in Technology group, Natalie has led on the development of a primary school workshop and rolled it out in a vast number of primary schools to introduce students to electrical circuits and programming through fun and interactive activities, showing them how STEM skills can be used in everyday life.
Salma Al Arefi
Salma is a Lecturer in Engineering Education at the University of Leeds, teaching and supporting the learning of future engineers. Her teaching expertise focuses on the field of renewable energy systems, and as well as delivering lectures and laboratory sessions, Salma also supervises student’s technical projects.
Outside of teaching, she enjoys conducting research on teaching methods with a focus on inclusive engineering pedagogy.
As well as highlighting engineering talent, the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards seek to find role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women. Just 15.7 per cent of those working in engineering occupations are women (source: Engineering UK).
2023 Young Woman Engineer of the Year, Titi Oliyide, said: “It has been a huge privilege to be the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year and to be a role model to the engineers of tomorrow, showcasing engineering excellence and the immense impact that engineering has in creating a more sustainable and safer world for us all. I am thoroughly enjoying and appreciate the platform that the award has given me; I’ve been able to work closely with the IET on various exciting opportunities that aim to encourage and retain diversity within engineering, as well as inspire curiosity about engineering careers in the next generation.”
Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the IET, Dr Laura Norton said: “Engineering and technology have been improving our world and shaping our future for centuries. Engineers make an ongoing difference to the world around us, and we want to celebrate those engineering a better world for us all.
“However, due a lack of understanding around what engineering is, perceived gender norms and not enough visible role models for the next generation, the UK has a shortage of women engineers.
“Our awards tell the stories of incredible women engineers who are changing our world for the better and shines a spotlight on them as roles models to get more girls excited and inspired about a career in engineering.
“I’d like to congratulate Alexia, Erin, Marisa, Natalie and Salma for making the final five and demonstrating the tremendous talent of women working in our industry today.”
The winner will be announced at the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards ceremony on Monday 9 December 2024. Registration is now open for the awards – for more information and to register to attend, please visit youngwomenengineer.theiet.org
This year’s YWE Awards are being sponsored by Northrop Grumman and Royal Air Force.
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