International Women in Engineering Awards – Latest

The WE50 campaign aims to raise awareness of the skills shortage facing the industry and the huge discrepancy between the number of men vs women currently in Engineering professions, to change perceptions and encourage young women to consider Engineering as a viable and rewarding career. This year’s theme is Returners or Transferrers.

The campaign does not intend to rank seniority of nominees but to recognise those who act as role models and provide inspiration to other women engineers. Equal consideration is given to interns/ apprentices/ graduates as managers or execs. What is important is an example of something innovative, overcoming adversity, an exceptional project, fundraising or network activity, committees or clubs etc.

We are thrilled that two of our colleagues, Penny Gowler and Agata Tamulewicz-Downey were shortlisted for the top 50.

Penny is an Associate Director based in our Wimbledon office and in 2012 Penny was given her biggest challenge to date, the refurbishment of the Ned Hotel, London. A highly prestigious project with extremely demanding engineering challenges. Between 2014 and 2016 Penny went on maternity for 24 months, within this time however, she continued to be the overall lead for the project. Her role on this project was vital to ensure its success; many technical and project management related problems were encountered on site due to the number of unknowns uncovered in this 1920s building. Penny provided clear leadership and organisation ensuring the project was a huge success. The project has since gone on to win numerous awards, including being shortlisted by the Institution of Structural Engineers. These accolades are proof that a balance can be struck without having to compromise.

Agata is an engineer based in the Central London office, she graduated with MSc in Structural Engineering in 2007 and moved from Poland to Ireland where she started her career in geotechnical/structural design company. Over the following years, Agata became fluent in English, volunteered in the Architectural Department in the Irish Heritage Council, was a project manager on a major European motorway acoustic barriers project and took a postgraduate diploma in building conservation (and graduated with distinction). Agata moved to the UK in 2012 and got back into engineering design and after taking a career break for a new baby, she is now in the process of becoming a chartered engineer.

The eventual top 50 women in engineering were listed in a standalone supplement produced by the Telegraph on the 24^th June and invited to an awards dinner to celebrate their achievements.

A follow up article was also published on the iStructE website featuring Penny Gowler

https://www.istructe.org/news-...