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Engineering Industry Developments and Awards
News Release from: Institution of Engineering and Technology
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 26 January 2007
Awards help address shortage of female
role models
The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year title has been awarded to Katy Deacon, 27, from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.
The IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) has announced the winners of the 2006 IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year title was awarded to Katy Deacon, 27, from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 17 Oct 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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The WES (Women's Engineering Society) Award, the runner-up prize to the main award, was presented to Maire McLoone, 28, from Belfast.
The Mary George Memorial Prize, an award given to a young woman who shows great promise and potential in the profession and is tipped to be one of tomorrow's leaders in engineering, was won by Suzanne Stamford, 24, from Eaton Socon in Cambridgeshire.
The Dyson Young Woman Engineering Apprentice of the Year award was won by Charlotte Dean, 22, from Flintshire, Wales.
This award is new to the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards and is sponsored by the James Dyson Foundation.
These highly prestigious and coveted awards celebrate the very best female engineers in the UK, who have firmly established themselves as dynamic and technically excellent professionals.
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Katy Deacon, an Electrical Engineer for Kirklees Metropolitan Council, based in Huddersfield, has played a key role in implementing a variety of renewable energy projects in the West Yorkshire area for which she has received other award nominations.
Deacon has worked on a variety of projects including the use of wind turbines and solar power for schools and colleges.
She also secured funding for and created a renewable energy tool kit to aid architects, engineers and developers to make best use of integrated renewable energy technologies in building development.
Deacon is currently developing an automated reading system to monitor the consumption of electricity, gas and water across the council's buildings.
Professor Julia King, Head of the Department of Engineering at Imperial College London, presented Deacon with a cheque for GBP 1000, an engraved trophy and certificate.
Maire McLoone is a Lecturer and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow for ECIT (Electronics, Communications and Information Technology) Research Institute at Queens University, Belfast.
Her achievements include making a number of key contributions in the field of data security, leading a research team, lecturing in electronics at the university, building key international relations, securing funding for her research projects and also giving talks to other young women about the profession.
McLoone received GBP 500, a certificate and an engraved trophy.
Suzanne Stamford, an Electronics Platoon Commander for the 3rd Battalion REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), has been serving in Iraq leading a platoon of 50 men.
Responsible for controlling the high-tech resources of the battalion and making critical engineering decisions in a variety of areas, Stamford is at the forefront of life-saving technological development.
Through managing resources and providing quick repair solutions, Stamford's role is critical in enabling troops to operate more safely.
As Platoon Commander, Stamford is also responsible for the training and professional development of serving soldiers under her instruction, ensuring technicians possess the relevant trade skills to maintain and operate equipment.
Professor Julia King presented Stamford with a cheque for GBP 500, a certificate and engraved trophy.
The Dyson Young Woman Engineering Apprentice Award, a new addition to the awards repertoire for 2006, credits the importance of on-the-job training within the profession and focuses on the achievements of women on an apprenticeship scheme.
Charlotte Dean has recently completed her multi-skilled automation apprenticeship at UPM-Kymmene, a newsprint manufacturer based in Deeside, Flintshire.
During her apprenticeship, Dean was responsible for designing and implementing a training rig for testing software and hardware and for being part of a focus group that looks at ways of getting more women into the profession.
Dean received GBP 750, certificate and engraved trophy from the James Dyson Foundation.
The IET hopes the awards will help to highlight that engineering provides an exciting career option for women which is both well paid and provides the opportunity to make a difference to people's lives.
Robin McGill, Chief Executive and Secretary of the IET said: "This year's IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year competition has attracted hundreds of high calibre candidates, clearly demonstrating the impressive quality of young women now following successful careers in engineering".
"However, the IET is concerned that only 5.4% of the UK's engineers are women and more needs to be done to demonstrate that engineering provides an excellent career choice with many great opportunities".
"The IET is committed to raising the profile of engineering and encouraging more young people, including women, to consider a wider participation within the profession".
"In particular, we hope the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards will help to address the shortage of female role models within engineering, especially in light of the current skills shortages within the industry".
The awards attract high profile sponsors and supporters including BT, Ford, Cosmopolitan Magazine, The Caroline Haslett Memorial Trust and the James Dyson Foundation.
The winners were announced at a national award ceremony at the BT Centre in London. Request free introductory details about products from Institution of Engineering and Technology ...
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