From wave energy to wind farms to AI ethics: the women who are gamechangers in engineering

Range of disciplines highlights depth of talent in this year’s top 50 women in engineering awards

What do fluid dynamics, flood and coastal erosion, wave energy, AI ethics and space systems have in common?

They are just some of the fields in which the winners of this year’s Top 50 Women in Engineering work.

The WE50 awards – organized by the UK charity the Women’s Engineering Society – were handed out yesterday at a ceremony I attended in London, a day after International Women in Engineering Day.

The array of talent in the room was inspiring, and the disciplines in which these gamechangers work also highlights the way engineering is evolving: who would have guessed five years ago that there would be an AI Ethics Senior Technical Specialist among the winners (Dr Paula Palade of Jaguar Land Rover).

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Opening the ceremony, Susan Robson, board trustee of the Women’s Engineering Society, told the winners: “What an amazing bunch you are. I personally want to congratulate all of you for being our Top 50 Women in Engineering 2024, and to thank you, not only for the amazing work you are doing in your own careers, but also for the role modelling you are doing for women and girls who are coming up behind you.”

She said it was important to show industry “what it means to be inclusive and to support their talent to thrive”.

“Society has its existential goals to deliver, whether it be combating climate change, delivering a just energy transition, or delivering food and healthcare to a growing and changing population. And we won’t deliver those goals without bringing in the best talent from all groups in our society and supporting them to fulfil their potential across the whole of their professional journey.”

Robson said “inclusivity is key to attracting, developing and retaining the best talent. It is so crucial to you delivering your institutional and business goals.”

Among the winners from the energy sector were Elva Bannon, Research and Engineering Manager at Wave Energy Scotland, Melanie Thrush, Principal Geoenvironmental Engineer and geothermal specialist at Arup; and Muneebah Quyyam, senior engineer and wind farm control system designer at Atkins Realis.

You can find the full list of this year’s winners here.

And dive in to all our women in energy content here.

Originally published on powerengineeringint.com