Inclusive Engineering Education Symposium Speakers
JANE ANDREWS, ASTON UNIVERSITY
Dr Jane Andrews is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Education at Aston University.
She is shortly to be appointed as a Co-Director in the Aston Centre for STEM
Education which will be officially launched at Aston University in June 2016. Jane
is a Social Scientist with a PhD from Aston Business School. She has been working
in Engineering Education Research for just over six years and is particularly
interested in diversity and the student experience. Jane has just over 90
publications. She teaches CSR and Research Methods in Engineering.
SUNNY BAINS, UCL
Sunny Bains is a scientist, journalist, editor, educator, Editorial Director of the
technology news site The Briefing and Managing Director of Form & Content Media
Ltd, a company that delivers specialized technical content to technical
organizations. As a writer, her interests have ranged from holographic associative
memories and analogue neural networks to nanotech-based sensors and artificial
muscles.
At UCL Engineering, she is helping to implement the Integrated Engineering
Programme: an ambitious project to change the way engineering is taught – and the kind of graduates
UCL produces – by focussing on learning-by-doing activities and by giving students appropriate
training to succeed in these exercises.
KATIE CRESSWELL-MAYNARD, ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS
Engineers Without Borders UK has existed for close to 15 years. The organisation's
birthplace was as a result of student engineers' desires to use their skills and
knowledge for social purpose and benefit. This demonstrates that application,
real-world relevance and a comprehension of the social impact of engineering are
key drivers for many of the individuals that have been involved in the organisation.
Throughout our lifetime we have evolved our programmes from solely providing direct opportunities
for young engineers to engage in engineering projects with tangible social impacts to recognising that
the approaches and skills required to do this, as well as the satisfaction of the impact this brings, is
something that all engineering students should be exposed to regardless of where they may end up
working, so we now run programmes addressing engineering education to bring this about. Namely,
with the aim that engineering students understand and employ the principles and potential of ethical,
environmentally sound and culturally sensitive engineering. We call this Globally Responsible
Engineering.
DAVID GUILE, UCL INSITUTE OF EDUCATION
Professor David Guile is Professor of Education and Work, Head of the Department
of Lifelong and Comparative Education, UCL’s Institute of Education, and a member
of the ESRC Research Centre - Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies
and Societies, and also Co-Director of UCL's Centre for Engineering Education.
His primary research interests are in professional, vocational and workplace
learning, including apprenticeship, internship, and interprofessional activity.
Currently, he is investigating via a ESRC grant interprofessional working and
learning in global engineering company.
His most recent books are The Knowledge Economy and Lifelong Learning: Critical Perspectives, edited
with David Livingstone (Sense 2013), and The Learning Challenge of the Knowledge Economy (Sense,
2010).
LAURA JOHNSON, ASTON UNIVERSITY
Laura joined the Engineering Education Research Group at Aston University in
2015, after securing a full scholarship to complete her PhD, currently entitled “An
Exploration of Students Experiences of Engineering Education in the UK, Germany,
Finland and Lithuania: A Comparative Study.”
Prior to beginning her PhD, Laura completed her undergraduate degree in Politics
and Sociology as a mature student at Aston University.
CARMEN LEICHT-SCHOLTEN , AACHEN UNIVERSITY
Prof. Dr. Carmen Leicht-Scholten is director of the institute "Gender and Diversity in
Engineering" at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University and Vice
Dean in charge of studies affairs at the faculty.
Together with an interdisciplinary team of engineers, natural scientists and social
scientists, she is working on the inclusion of diversity in research and development
processes and at different levels of organisation development. Prof Leicht-Scholten is
the representative of RWTH Aachen University within the CDIO network, an innovative educational
framework of leading engineering schools in the world to educate the next generation of engineers.
She was participating in the development of the institutional strategy of RWTH Aachen University in
the framework of the German Excellence Initiative. In this context she was responsible for the
conception of the gender and diversity strategy of RWTH Aachen. As expert for gender and diversity
studies Prof. Leicht-Scholten is member in national and international advisory board for example the
German representative of the genderSTE network, promoting a better integration of gender analysis
in research and innovation. Her fields of research focuses on realizing sustainable and social
responsible research by integrating gender and diversity perspectives in science and technology
research and innovation processes.
In 2014, Prof. Leicht-Scholten has been invited to Stanford University as a visiting professor. As a result
of that, she is currently developing the transnational course "Expanding Engineering Limits: Culture,
Diversity and Gender" together with colleagues from the School of Engineering at Stanford University.
JOHN MCCULLOM, BAESYSTEMS
After graduating with an Honours Degree in Engineering from the University of Brunel
in 1991, John joined the Company when it was known as British Aerospace. He then
went on to hold a variety of Engineering positions supporting the production,
maintenance and flying of military and civil aircraft types. This included participating
in several international research programmes and conducting component failure
investigations associated with aircraft accidents. In 1998, John was appointed the
Principal Quality Controller at the Warton site, requiring him to hold a variety of MoD
and CAA delegations and approvals.
In 2011, John relocated to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia as Director of Maintenance & Continuing
Airworthiness for BAE Systems Saudi Arabia. In addition to this role, John also took on responsibility
for Quality Assurance and Facilities Management.
In 2015, John relocated back to the UK to take up his current role, responsible for Head Office
Engineering. John is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a
member of IOM3. He is married with two children and enjoys scuba diving, golf and following most
sports.
MARK MCBRIDE-WRIGHT, KBR
Mark is leading the direction of LGBT diversity and inclusion (D&I) both within his
employer KBR and also across the engineering industry through InterEngineering,
the organisation of which he is Chair and Co-founder which connects, informs and
empowers LGBT engineers and supporters.
From his position at InterEngineering, Mark has been able to take best practices from other firms and
has started to implement change at KBR, an international engineering and construction firm where he
is a safety engineer. He has hosted KBR at numerous D&I events including a Royal Academy of
Engineering (RAEng) roundtable discussing sexual orientation equality in engineering. He has helped
expand KBR's gender network and created a global photography exhibition "Women@KBR" to
celebrate International Women's Day, and has actively sought participation from trans-female KBR
employees. He published a report on tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in engineering
for the House of Commons and is currently working with the Government on implementation of the
recommended measures.
He was ranked as number 2 in the 2015 Financial Times Top 30 Future LGBT Leaders and has recently
been shortlisted for "Corporate Rising Star" in the British LGBT Awards."
JUNE MCCOMBIE, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Dr June McCombie is a Senior Research Officer at the University of Nottingham,
where she has worked since 1989. Before joining the University June spend some 8
years as a postdoctoral researcher in France and North America.
In addition to her research interests in the area of Astrophysical Chemistry
and Molecular Spectroscopy June’s professional activities encompass
teaching and learning, public outreach, diversity and science communication. She has worked
on a number of diversity projects in the STEM area for which she was awarded and MBE in 2013.
She has been closely associated with the Institute of Physics (IoP) Diversity programme for a
number of years and from 2007-2012 was Chair of the Juno Awards Panel, established by the
IoP to identify best practice for women IOP members in University Physics Departments.
JULIE MILLS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Professor Julie Mills is Head of the School of Natural and Built Environments at the
University of South Australia. Before joining the university Julie had 15 years of
professional engineering experience in industry, primarily as a Structural Engineer
on projects ranging from power stations to houses.
Julie’s teaching has been rewarded with National and University teaching awards for her commitment
to project-based learning and equity and diversity initiatives. Julie’s diverse research interests include
engineering education, gender studies and structural engineering and she has received national
competitive grants and supervised PhD students across all of these areas. Julie has numerous journal
publications and has co-authored two books: Gender Inclusive Engineering Education published in
2010 and Knowledge, Sex and Power: Gender, work and engineering published in 2013.
JOHN MITCHELL, UCL
Professor John Mitchell is Vice Dean, Education and a Professor in the Department
of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, UCL. He is currently Acting Co-Director of
UCL's Centre for Engineering Education.
Since 2012 he has been on secondment to lead a major curriculum review and
development project across the UCL Engineering faculty.
The project has involved the revision of the majority of the undergraduate
programmes to include increased project based and multi-discipinary activities.
Previously, he has led projects to introduce problem-based and scenario based learning into the
electronic engineering curriculum at UCL. The results of this work has been published in a number of
international journals and conferences. He is a Fellow of the HEA and recipient of a UCL Provost’s
Teaching Award. He is currently completing an MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional
Education at the UCL Institute of Education.
HELEN MORLEY, LEEDS UNIVERSITY
Dr Helen Morley has an MEng in Electronic Engineering and a PhD in
Engineering Ethics. Key to her work is recognising that the narratives that
engineers (and engineering students) have about their role and the way the
world works limits their ability to perceive a range of ethically significant
issues, including inclusivity. Her wider research interests include the ethics of
implicit bias, and decision theory. She works at the University of Leeds, sharing her time between
research ethics training for PGRs, engineering ethics teaching to undergraduate engineers and is
currently engaged in an AHRC-funded project working with Engineers Without Borders drafting a
Declaration of Global Responsibility for Engineers.
ANNE NORTCLIFFE, SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERISTY
Anne is the Collaborative Programme Leader (cross-discipline) and BSc/BEng Computer Network
Engineering Course Leader. Active LTA practitioner and researcher in developing student learning and
experience, published internationally and nationally.
EANN PATTERSON, LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY
Professor Eann Patterson is AA Griffith Chair of Structural Materials & Mechanics,
University of Liverpool and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the National Nuclear Laboratory.
He is a former Head of Department for Mechanical Engineering at the University of
Sheffield, UK (2001-04) and at Michigan State University, USA (2004-09). He has held
an Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2011-2016) and a Hsue-Shen Tsien
Professorship of Engineering Sciences at the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences (2014).
JAN PETERS, KATALYTIK AND UCL
Dr Jan has been associated with leading and/or defining a number of high profile reports
on women and ethnic minority groups in SET including Maximising Returns, (DTI, 2002),
SET Fair, (DTI 2002), Taking a Leading Role, (The Royal Society, 2005), Women for
Science (InterAcademy Council 2006) and Different Women, Different Places (2007),
and Jobs for the boys? with UCL Engineering (HESTEM 2012). While at DTI
she established the first set of benchmarking data on women in science.
Jan manages Katalytik – a small consultancy that develops evidence based programmes building
bridges between education and industry for both knowledge and talent transfer. Katalytik has
delivered a range of reports on commercial technology opportunities and evidence based reports that
address the wider diversity agenda. Jan has worked with UCL Engineering as a consultant since leading
the HE STEM funded Set to Lead project addressing diversity and inclusion and introducing the
StrengthsFinder tool into the IEP.
A certified Gallup Strengths Coach, Jan uses the Gallup StrengthsFinder tool to build inclusive team
environments in both education and industry environments. www.katalytik.co.uk
SUKI PHULL, ASTON UNIVERSITY
Dr Suki Phull is Associate Dean for Student Experience at Aston University School
of Engineering & Applied Science. Suki is a Bio-Chemist with a particular interest in
Engineering and Applied Science Education. He is responsible for a number of
student-centred projects within the School and is an expert in diversity and
education. Suki also has a particular interest in employability. Suki teaches in
Chemical Engineering and is Programme Director for the Undergraduates within
this area.
CATHY PINK-KEECH, SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
Cathy is the Academic Skills Manager at Sheffield Hallam University in the Library services and support,
full- trained PASS Supervisor and over 10 years’ experience of running different mentoring
programmes at Sheffield Hallam University to develop student learning, retention and engagement.
JEMMA ROWLNADSON, UNIVERSITY OF BATH
Jemma is the incoming chair of the WESBath student group. She is currently doing
her PhD with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Sustainable
Chemical Technologies at the University of Bath.
WESBath was founded in 2014 when a group of students were given the funding
opportunity by a Bath alumnus. The group promotes diversity in engineering, and supports women
throughout their degree programme. WESBath host monthly seminars during the term time, social
events and have just started a mentorship programme with the Bath Alumni network, to connect
female students with engineering graduates. The group also aims to inspire the next generation of
engineers through its outreach programme.
NEIL SMITH, BUROHAPPOLD
Head of Inclusive Design at BuroHappold, Neil has over 15 years’ experience in
specifying and negotiating access to the built environment for disabled people, and
is well versed in the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and the previous Disability
Discrimination Acts (1995 and 2005). But his knowledge isn’t limited to legislation.
Neil’s passion for making the built world accessible to all shows through in his work:
from masterplans and the development of design standards and policy, to examinations of individual
buildings, enabling BuroHappold to deliver the ideal solution to meet highly specific needs.