The Woman Engineer – Summer 200512

Thirty-six school teams in threeage groups (years 6,7,8,9;years 10 and 11; years 12 and

13) from across the UK took part inthe final of ‘Operation Storm’, anational challenge organised by theRoyal Navy and Young Engineersheld at HMS Sultan in Gosport.

The teams were challenged todesign and build a small-scale ves-sel to clear a model Caribbean har-bour of debris following a hurri-cane. This had to be achievedagainst the clock, in order that theRoyal Navy could sail in with reliefsupplies. Teams responded with arange of imaginative solutions. Thevessels designed even included asubmarine.

In a day full of excitement, teamshad the opportunity to sit in thecockpits of helicopters and a Sea

Harrier, talk to naval officers and toview many interesting displaysincluding one on robots.

The Group 1 winners (years 6, 7,8, 9) for the best presentation ofthe planning of their project were2286 Arden Squadron Air TrainingCorp from Coventry. Team mem-bers (shown above) Belinda Jeffries(14) and Jay Ashmore (13) weretreated to a flight in a Lynx helicop -ter around the Solent.

Belinda said: “This wasabsolutely amazing and the bestpart was when we lifted off andthe pilot tilted the nose of the air-craft – very exciting.”

An all-girl team from StSwithuns, Winchester were runnersup in the years 10 & 11 group for‘Most effective clearance of theharbour’.

Return is an exciting newscheme that offers skilledwomen the opportunity to

return to a career in science,engineering, technology or thebuilt environment.

Return services are aimed pri -marily at qualified women whoare trained to degree level orhigher in SET, or women whohave been working in a jobwhere a degree would usually berequired. Return offers free infor-mation and support services tohelp women return to SET.

Return is run by the UKResource Centre for Women inSET (UKRC) and offers a range offree services tailored to meetyour individual needs.

The UKRC aims to support1,000 women with information,referral, access to refresher train-ing, mentoring and networkingand links with employers.

On-line training

A SPECIAL course has beendeveloped by the OpenUniversity with support fromUKRC specifically to help womenovercome problems that theyface when returning to work in

science, engineering and tech-nology, and is sponsored by theDepartment of Trade andIndustry and the European SocialFund EQUAL Programme.

Through a series of onlineactivities and discussions, partici-pants can analyse previous expe-rience, identify opportunities anddevelop a realistic and powerfulaction plan to find a job that willfulfil their aspirations and suittheir lifestyle. The courseincludes the chance to meetpotential employers, role modelsand mentors in the world of SET.

The course is FREE of charge,and travel and childcare expens-es are available for attendance atnetworking events and tutorials.Applicants should have a back-ground in a science, engineeringor technology subject – eitherthrough substantial work experi-ence in one of these sectors orhaving studied to HND/degreelevel or equivalent.

For further information con-tact the Open UniversityCustomer Contact Centre on01908 653231 or email general-enquiries@open.ac.uk quotingthe course code T160.

Storming to victor y

Manchester girls win PaperclipPhysics challenge

Ateam of students fromAltrincham Girls GrammarSchool in Manchester has

won the grand final of the UK’smost challenging science compe-tition, Paperclip Physics, organ-ised by the Institute of Physicsand involving teams of studentsfrom all over Great Britain andIreland.

Paperclip Physics asks studentsto become teachers for a day andexplain a concept of physics,using everyday objects, to a panelof judges. The Manchester teamwon with a dramatic perform-ance, which made the process ofstar-birth easy to understand.

They outlined how stars areborn, what processes keep themalive and some of the problemswith nuclear fusion and fission. Ina staged sketch using hula hoops,

giant ropes, specially designedhats and costumes, the teamacted out the roles of MissGravity and Miss Strong Forcewho struggle against the forcesof physics to bring together twocharges in the process that keepsstars like our Sun alive.

The triumphant team (shownopposite) was Catherine Brown,Becky Kennedy, Caroline Youngand Victoria Young. They wereaccompanied by physics teachersPam Howie and Melissa Lord.

The winners receive a free tripto a summer science camp,donated by sponsors AventureScientific, the French leader for“smart” summer camps, whereyou can discover science throughexperimenting and having fun.

For more information visitpaperclip@iop.org.

Many happy returns

Continues on page 3

All girl rally team p10

THE

www.wes.org.uk

2005 conference pp 6-7 Life after retirement p5 The triumph of technology p8

Volume 17, Number 8– Summer 2005WomanEngineer

President’ smessage

Springis

sprung,andthingslookgood fortheWomen’s

Engineering Society. Wehave a good strong mem-bership base of interestingwomen with whom it is funto work. Our major project,MentorSET, is now fundedfor another two years, witha secure place within thenational provision co-ordi-nated by the UK’s ResourceCentre for Women in SET.Our uncertainties over howlong we could stay at OldQueen Street have changedto hope that we will have anew long-term home withthe IEE. We have managedagainst all the odds to reachthe end of the financial yearwithout having to draw onour reserves.

In preparation for theoffice move, we have beensorting some of the old jour-nals. They provide a mixtureof nostalgic smiles, laughs atideas that have changed,and frustration at the sameproblems being still unre-solved 50 years on. They area reminder that it has beena long and rocky road, andare a powerful incentive tokeep going in order tostraighten out these long-standing injustices. They alsohelp us realise how muchhas already changed, andprompt us to adapt our

For many years we have beenlucky enough to enjoy an officein Westminster, thanks to the

generosity of SEMTA. However, theyare reorganising their offices, andhave asked us to find new premises.We have looked at various locationsin and around London, and Councilhas decided that the IEE is offeringthe best deal. We await the formaloffer, but we saw a draft before thelast Council meeting.

We are being offeredspace at their Stevenageoffices. Major issues for usare accessibility andstaffing. Stevenage is lessthan half-an-hour fromKing’s Cross by train, on amajor route from theNorth. Michael Faraday House is ashort walk from the station. Althoughtheir parking space is limited, there isa huge public car park nearby. Twoof our vice-presidents live close by,but it is a less easy journey thanWestminster for most of those whovisit the office regularly. However, wehave all accepted that this is a penaltywe are willing to pay.

The building is not available forSaturday Council meet-ings, so we will be look-ing for other venues. Anysuggestions gratefullyreceived! We may wellchoose to meet outsideLondon sometimes, butgood travel connectionsare essential as Councilmembers come from allover the country.

Our secretary Audreyindicated early in thesearch that she wouldnot want to move withus, as her commute isalready long enough. Hercurrent contract ends inJune. Suzanne Korn, whoproved so useful in theoffice last summer, hasoffered her services againthis summer. We haveenthusiastically accepted,

particularly as we were concernedabout a new person having to set upthe office in a new venue with no-one around to offer guidance aboutour operations. As Suzanne lives inNorth London, she can happily workin either location and will, no doubt,cope well with transferring ourrecords and our treasured bits andpieces.

A virtual office was considered, or

a move to someone’s house, but wedecided that it is important to haveour paper records in an easily accessi-ble formal office. We do hope toincrease the amount of virtual work -ing. There will be the odd week thissummer when no-one will be answer-ing the phone (Suzanne has a life tolead too) but email and ansaphoneare always picked up remotely inthose circumstances.

We will be recruiting a new secre-tary to start work in Stevenage inSeptember. The IEE has found anadvantage of Stevenage is that it iseasier to hire high-quality staff thanin Central London. We hope to find avery capable administrator who canon occasions be the face of theWomen’s Engineering Society. At lastyear’s conference we discussed thepossibility of moving towards a paidmember of staff with chief executiveofficer responsibilities. Dawn is writ-ing a report on this now. We cannotafford a large salary, but would aimto offer a fair one and hope that thechance to work part-time is attractive.If you know anyone in the Stevenagearea, watch out for the advertisementat the end of June.

The IEE has long been a goodfriend to WES. Our office was atSavoy Place at one time (more infor-mation, anyone?) We are delightedthat they positively welcome ourcompany at Stevenage and will lookat ways of working more closelytogether. We will watch with interesttheir plans to form a super-institutionwith our friends the IIE (see p 10).

Pam Wain

New home for WES

Senior vice-president Dawn Fitt andfellow WES member Laura James judg -ing the Cambridge KNEX Challenge atthe Nissan Motor showroom. This

event was organised by the localCambridge SETpoint. Laura and Dawnare SEA’s registered with CambsSETpoint.

“The IEE has longbeen a goodfriend to WES“

The Woman Engineer – Summer 20052

Inside this issue...

2 INWES3 My job

4 WES News9 Council Update

10 New members10 News11 Your letters11 Members’ news11 Diary12 On-line course for returners12 Manchester girls win physics

challenge

The Women’ sEngineering Societyis a charity registered with theCharity Commission No. 1008913and a company limited by guar -antee registered in England No.162096.

All correspondence regardingmembership and the work ofthe Women’s EngineeringSociety (WES) should beaddressed to:

The SecretaryWomen’s Engineering Society22 Old Queen Street London SW1H 9HPTel: 0207 233 1974 e-mail: info@wes.org.ukwww.wes.org.uk

The Woman Engineer Editor :Pat Battamse-mail: editor@wes.org.uk

Editorial Boar d:Ruth Carter, Lorna Chapman,Jacky Crook, Eli Fosbrooke, PetraGodwin, Dianne Patterson,Karen Quigley, Connie Shirley,Natalie Wiseman

The Woman Engineer is pub-lished by the Women’sEngineering Society. It is distrib-uted free of charge to membersof the Society and to selectedprofessional women engineers,scientists and women under-graduates at universities and col-leges.

Subscriptions : the journal isavailable to non WES membersin the UK at a subscription priceof £20.00pa (inc postage). Pleasesend applications for subscrip-tions to WES. Cheques should bemade payable to: Women’sEngineering Society.

Overseas subscriptions : priceby surface mail is £25.00pa.Sterling cheques or bank draftsshould be made payable to:Women’s Engineering Society.All letters and articles for inclu-sion in The Woman Engineershould be sent to the Editor atthe same address.

The views expressed in thisjournal are not necessarilythe views of the Society.

(c) Copyright: The WomanEngineer 2005

Deadline for next issue: 15 July 2005

In our last issue senior vice-presidentDawn Fitt described last year as ‘aroller coaster ride’ for WES. In this

issue we read about new develop-ments which promise a more secure,but nevertheless exciting, future forWES. Also MentorSET has gainedfunding to continue its valuable workwhich is really good news.

There is a saying ‘If you want toget a job done ask a busy person’.This certainly seems to apply to WESmembers. The article on page 5shows that even after retirementfrom paid employment, WES mem-bers are busier than ever. This articleshows the importance of planningpre-retirement how you are going tofill your days. But don’t be too ambi-tious. A friend of mine – a retiredphysics lecturer – says that after 20years’ retirement, he has still not got

around to some of the jobs heplanned to do when he left work.

This year’s Reith lectures on BBCRadio 4 – The triumph of technology– raised many issues of relevance toWES members. The series of lecturesaimed to address the public’s lack ofengagement with technology. LordAlec Broers’ articulate and intelligentlectures aroused much media atten-tion – and hopefully the interest gen-erated will not be short-lived. LordBroars believes that technology hasthe potential to solve many of theworld’s problems but this will only beachieved if greater public educationand involvement with technology canbe achieved. He traces this lack ofunderstanding of technology back toschool curriculums and the discour-agement of girls from pursuing scien-tific studies. A synopsis of some of

the issues he raised appears on page8. The full text of the lectures is avail-able on www.bbc.com/radio4.

The Woman Engineer would beinterested to learn members’ opin-ions on the views expressed in theselectures. Please write or email to theeditor (editor@wes.org.uk).

Finally the back page shows exam-ples of how girls are starting to shinein science and technology competi-tions for schoolchildren. Presumablythese girls were fortunate enough tohave teachers who encouraged,rather than discouraged, them tonurture their interest in science andtechnology.

Preparations for ICWES13 con-tinue apace. I have now heardthat my paper has been accept-

ed, and I have booked my flight.The organisers have had a goodresponse for papers and attendance,and things are lookinggood for Seoul, Koreaon 25 - 29 August witha theme of ‘WomenEngineers andScientists: Main Forceto Reshape the World’.I hope there will be afew of us from WES.

For INWES, we havehad a couple of execu-tive meetings, whichwe do by conferencecall. At the momentmuch of the talk isabout ICWES, and howwe can present INWESat this very importantevent so that we can find newmembers and volunteers for ourprojects. In addition, we have aboard meeting at ICWES and also ageneral meeting – the successor tothe delegates’ meeting that hastaken place at ICWES in the past.One of the duties for the general

meeting is to vote for the boardmembers, and the process of nomi-nations for this is going accordingto plan. I have been nominated asWES representative to continue onthe board as Vice President

(Conferences) for the next 3 years. Although it is rather a long way

into the future, it has been decidedto hold ICWES14 in France in 2008.This is a good decision for us here in

the UK. After ICWES 11, 12 and 13have been held in far away places,many WES members should be ableto travel to ICWES14.

A very pleasant duty for me was avisit to Bahrain in February to repre-sent INWES at the launch of theArab Network for Women inScience and Technology. HerHighness Shaikah Sabeeka BintIbrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of HisMajesty the King of Bahrain andChairwoman of the SupremeCouncil of Women inaugurated thenetwork after verses from the HolyQuran were read. The keynoteaddress was by Dr Rafia Ghubash,President of the Arabian GulfUniversity, who, as the only womanPresident in the region, is very sup-portive of the initiative. Womenfrom every Arab country were repre-sented at the launch, and I gave apresentation on INWES. It was myfirst visit to an Arab country, and Iwas able to talk to many of the del-egates, who made me feel mostwelcome.

Finally, if you haven’t looked atthe INWES website lately, it hasundergone a transformation withmore to come (www.inwes.org).

Sue addresses the Bahrainconference

Sue Bird reports on the latest developments

The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005 11

YOUR

Diary

23 June Formula Schools Race Day 2005 at SilverstonCircuit. For more details seewww.formulaschools.com

7 July Women inLeadership Forum inLondon. For further detailssee www.qsforums.com

25-29 August ICWES 13‘Women engineers and sci-entists: Main force toreshape the world’ inSeoul, Korea

16-18 September WESConference ‘Energy andtransport’ at the Universityof York (see pp 6-7)

Please send all diary

items to editor@wes.org . u k

or post to the addre s s

above. Deadline for next

issue 15 July 2005.

Members’ news

Congratulations

To Sasha Gallagher uponbecoming a Chartered Engineer withthe IMechE.

To Siobhan Kohli-Lynch whohas been awarded a WinstonChurchill Travelling Fellowship tovisit Canada this summer to investi-gate schemes encouraging young

women to study engineering.Siobhan won last year ’s Insight essaycompetition and will be starting atImperial College in the autumnstudying mechanical engineering.

To Betty Preece upon her induc-tion to the University of Kentucky’sCollege of Engineering’s Hall of

Distinction – only the secondwoman to achieve this honour. Thecitation states her tireless effortsaimed at advancing science educa-tion and her pioneering work for theSociety of Women Engineers.

To Karen Quigley on the birth ofher daughter Katharine (see photobelow).

To Julie Winnar d on her recentmarriage.

Dear Editor

I am seeking WES members’ help tosave the Woman’s Workshop, a longestablished voluntary sector organis-ation in Cardiff. For over 20 years theWomen’s Workshop has providedquality training, including courses incomputing and electronics and careerhelp, for women in SouthGlamorgan. The organisation spe-cialises in helping vulnerable womenin a non-competitive and supportiveenvironment. Priority is given towomen with no educational qualifi -cations who would be rejected byother training courses.

Cardiff County Council is threaten-ing to cut its funding to the Women’sWorkshop. WES members could helpus fight this by writing to your MP orsigning our petition on www.mouse-work.org.uk/workshop/petition.htm.Further information is available frominfo@womensworkshop.org.uk.

Milada Williams

JIVE Employer Liaison Officer, Wales

Dear Editor

Redeem, the mobile phone and print-er cartridge recycling company, wish-es to thank everyone who supportedour recent Tsunami Recycling Appeal.We raised over £5,000 for theTsunami Earthquake Appeal.

Although the Tsunami Appeal iscoming to a close, WES members canstill help charity and the environmentthrough recycling. Our partnersinclude Marie Curie Cancer Care,Royal National Institute of the Blind,Children’s Hospice AssociationScotland, Roy Castle Lung CancerFoundation, Northern Ireland HospiceCare and the Royal Society for theProtection of Birds.

Whether you want to make a one-off mobile phone or cartridge dona-tion, or to make regular donationsfrom your workplace (we collectfree), we’d be delighted to hear fromyou. Visit www.recyclingappeal.comor call 08712 505050.

Rob MortonRedeem plc

Your letters should be

sent to: The Editor,

The Woman Engineer,

22 Old Queen Street,

London SW1H 9HP or

via e-mail to

editor@wes.org.uk

EMPLOYEES working forcompanies who offer child-

care assistance, either as childcarevouchers or via a place in a work-place nursery, could save moneyby opting into a salary sacrificescheme.

The TUC advises working par-ents that they can choose toreceive up to £50 a week of theirsalary in childcare support, mean-ing that they will no longer bepaying tax and national insuranceon that sum.

To help parents understand theiroptions the TUC offers advice onwww.worksmart.org.uk.

HSBC Bank is the first UK com-pany to offer its employees bothworkplace nursery places andchildcare vouchers for children upto the age of 16. The bank plansto more than double the numberof workplace nurseries it providesto at least 170, as well as offeringvouchers for parents who want tochoose another form of childcare.All 57,000 HSBC Bank staff in theUK are eligible, and around28,500 staff in the UK currentlyhave children under the age of 16.

The new arrangements meanthat HSBC employees will pay notax or national insurance at all onthe fees for a workplace nursery.

WES member Rachael Gurhy hasbeen appointed chairman of the IEESussex Branch.

Rachel is a high voltage mainte-nance engineer on the EDF Energyelectricity distribution network. Shebegan her career as an apprenticewith Kimberley Clark and gained anHNC in electrical engineering in1998. She then worked as a main-tenance electrician at a paper millin Aylesford.

After completing a BEng in elec-

trical and elec-tronic engi-neering in2000, shejoined theSeeboard grad-uate trainingscheme(Seeboard waslater acquiredby EDF).

Rachel has just applied tobecome a chartered engineer.

Rachael chairs IEE Sussex Branch

THE SAINSBURY ManagementFellowship Scheme selects

young and talented engineers andputs them through an MBA at aselect list of international businessschools. Through the scheme, engi -neers with a top-class business edu-cation are increasingly occupying sen-ior executive positions in UK businessin sectors as diverse as finance, tech-nology, manufacturing and retail, aswell as engineering.

Since its inception, the SainsburyManagement Fellowship Scheme hasfunded over 200 of Britain’s bestyoung engineers to complete anMBA at a top business school. Manyof these people now rank amongBritain’s most successful entrepre-neurs and business leaders.

To be considered for a SainsburyManagement Fellowship, the appli -cant must be a UK citizen with anengineering honours degree, andchartered engineer status. The appli-cation process is administered by theRoyal Academy of Engineering, andapplications can be made viawww.raeng.org.uk/education/profes-sional/sainsbury/default.htm.

MORE THAN 950,000 womenare now self-employed, with

130,000 taking the plunge last year.However, if the UK had the same

levels of female entrepreneurship asin the US, there would be aroundthree quarters of a million additionalbusinesses around the country.

A Women’s Enterprise Panel hasbeen formed by the government togive expert advice on how the num-bers of women can be boosted sig-nificantly.

A Women’s Enterprise on-line sem-inar is being arranged for 22-23June. For more information seewww.womensenterprise.co.uk.

BRITAIN is failing to providereal opportunity and choice for

young people entering training andwork, according to a report from theEqual Opportunities Commission –and girls from lower socio-economicgroups are losing out the most.

The Free to Choose report revealsthat too many of these girls are beingchannelled into jobs traditional totheir sex. By contrast, girls whoundertake higher education have bro-ken into higher paid jobs in areas likemedicine and law, and now form

more than half of entrants.There is real evidence of support

for change among young people, thereport finds. Eighty percent of girlssaid that they would or might beinterested in learning to do a non-traditional job and 12% of girls wereinterested in construction.

The EOC is launching anew website:www.works4me.org.uk tohelp young people find outabout the full range of careeroptions..

WORKING MUMS areto be offered an extra

three months’ paid maternityleave under plans outlined in a gov-ernment consultation documentissued at the end of February.

The new measures would offer:extended maternity pay and adoptionpay from six months to nine monthsby April 2007 with the goal of ayear’s paid leave by the end of thenext parliament; introduce a newright for mothers to transfer a pro-portion of their maternity leave andpay to fathers to give more choicewhen caring for children in the firstyear; consider extending the right torequest flexible working hours to car-ers of adults and parents of olderchildren and simplify the administra-tion of maternity leave and pay foremployers.

THE UK Resource Centre forWomen in SET (science, engi-

neering and technology) has beengranted an additional £2.8 million bythe Department of Trade andIndustry.

The Centre will receive an addition-al £800k in 2006/07 and a further£2m in 2007/08 from the recent sci -ence budget allocations.

Projects upon which the extragrants will be spent include:

◆ a national grant scheme for

minority women in SET;◆ setting up a satellite centre in

Northern Ireland and hubs in otherregions; and

◆ national network, mentoringand development scheme.

AN ALL FEMALE team will becompeting in this year ’s British

Rally Championship. In addition todriver Holly Bailey and co-driverAggie Foster (see photo on p1), theteam has four female mechanics –Georgina Higgs and AbigailSummerfield, who have recently com-pleted engineering degrees, AlisonChilds, an apprentice working forKwik-Fit, and Anna Powell, who hascompleted a mechanical engineeringapprenticeship and now works for aVauxhall dealership.

The team is sponsored by PrettyPolly Legwear.

THE BRITISH Lung Foundation(BLF) is looking for dynamic,

adventurous types who want ademanding but rewarding challengeto take on a BLF place in the EverestBase Camp Trek from 12-30November 2005.

Anyone who thinks they’re up tothe challenge can reserve a place for£299 and must then raise a minimumof £2,750. For more information con-tact 020 7688 5581 or emailevents@blf-uk.org.

The Woman Engineer – Summer 200510

New members

Ker ry Cop e, BarryMarion Fenn , HemelHempsteadAngela Mott , AtherstoneRoberta Piroddi, GuildfordChristine Sams , AberdeenAnne Wiseman , Abingdon

Student members

Colette Fleming , LondonMaryam Fozouni , LondonMayasari Lim , LondonRachel Taylor ,Middlesborough

Junior member

Samantha Knox , Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Upgrade from junior to student member

Natasha Watson , Watford

Keep us informed of your

latest news by writing to:

The Woman Engineer,

22 Old Queen Street,

London SW1H 9HP

or via e-mail to

editor@wes.org.uk

The IIE and IEE have receiveda boost to their joint aspira-

tions to create a new professionalengineering body that is interdiscipli-nary, inclusive of all types of engi-neering professional and global inscope. The Department of Trade andIndustry has indicated its willingnessto support the two institutions in anapplication to the Privy Council for a

new broad title, The Institution ofEngineering and Technology (IET).

Memberships of the two existinginstitutions will now need to be bal-loted. If the voting is sufficientlyfavourable within both current insti-tutions, the Privy Council will berequested to create a new RoyalCharter for the Institution ofEngineering and Technology.

From left: Georgina, Anna,Abigail and Alison

The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005 3

President’s messageContinued from page 1

Julie Winnard is a programmemanager in an innovation depart -ment within a large automotivesupplier. Her job involves projectmanaging the build of technologydemonstrator vehicles, and seek -ing and developing new tech -nologies for use in cars.

“Day to day this can mean a verywide range of activities: respondingto requests for building a car, esti-mating and quoting a build, planningit or supervising multi-site teams on abuild; engineering a technical solu-tion to get two systems which arenot designed for each other, to worktogether; presenting a demo vehicleto customers or the public at ashow,” said Julie. “I can also beassessing new technology, negotiat-ing agreements with new partnercompanies, trying out sample parts orsystems or attending external forumsor events.

“My department also helps runinnovation events for local col -leagues, and participate in other peo-ple’s events, to make sure what weknow gets put into the equationwhen we’re developing new technol-ogy. Even though you need commer-cial and interpersonal skills, a lot ofthe work is actually engineering,either of concepts or more detailedwork on a specific car installation.We deal with pretty much all of thecompany divisions, and at many lev-els from technicians to directors.”

Julie is a chartered mechanicalengineer. She was sponsored by herformer employer during her trainingand then worked for them for fiveyears in various roles, slowly movingback along the development processfrom the factory to the design centre.

“We worked a lot with my presentemployer, and when I started lookingfor jobs elsewhere they cherry-pickedme from the agent’s list; this oftenhappens between automotive com-panies who work closely together,“said Julie. She has been with herpresent company for eight years,moving from current design throughinto new design then finally innova-tion and advanced concepts.

“For this post my boss also wantedsomeone who could speak other lan-guages (I speak French and Germanreasonably well) and could use theircreativity in the job (my arty hobbiesmust have helped here). I wanted ajob with variety and exposure to lotsof different parts of the company,plus a chance to ‘play’ with newideas and hardware, so this role wasperfect!

“I enjoy the varietyand the ability to man-age my own time. Alsogetting real feedbackon an idea is alwaysinteresting. Justbecause you can makeit, doesn’t mean peo-ple will buy it!”

Julie gets her great-est satisfaction fromdelivering ‘impossible’builds. “Our team’sability to build a demoin 4 weeks that wouldtake other depart-ments 6 months feelsgood, especially if thepublic can’t tell it’s aprototype because itlooks and acts like a‘real’ car.”

Julie comes from atechnical family back-ground – her mother was adraughtswoman and her father a testtechnician.

“I knew that in engineering I coulduse maths and physics doing some-thing useful rather than theoretical,and my sponsored sandwich coursehelped me survive financially andgave me experience. I chose a coursewhere I could specialise in the lastyear, once I knew what I was goodat!”

She joined WES about five yearsago because her company’s womenengineers’ group was working withWES. “I had not realised WES existedbefore that, and found it very sup-portive for networking about ideas orissues I came across,” she said. Shejoined Council two and a half yearsago.

What advice would she give toothers wishing to follow in her foot -steps?

“ I say ‘Go for it’ – it’s interestingand varied and opens doors to othertypes of job. Companies need inputfrom all sections of the population,so they need you. Try to get an ideaof what areas you might be better ator keener on before you start. Askingquestions via the WES Clusters sys-tem is a good start, or the messageboard on our website.

“Once you have embarked on a

career, I’d advise everyone to keep anup-to-date CV and go for an inter-view once a year whether or not youare seriously looking for a job – younever know what you might getoffered! It keeps you in practice, tellsyou what you are worth, and helpsyou figure out what types of com-pany and industry you might want totry next. For example, one cluelesspotential employer (amongst manyother classics) proudly told me that asonly one of two girls, as the otherworked on nappies I would get towork in the tampons division‘because I knew the product’. Did shewear nappies? Did they have marketresearch? Probably not in either case,but I have no idea, as I decided notto work there or within that industry.At least bad interviews when youaren’t desperate for a job makefunny stories later!

“The profession is still male-domi-nated and will be for some time yet,so you have to be prepared to be theonly woman in some situations; butthe best you can do is treat everyoneelse fairly and equally and hope thatthey do the same back. The two besttools for a young woman engineermay still well be assertiveness lessons,however, and getting chartered, bothof which help you to be taken seri-ously.”

objectives andmethods tothis newworld.

Where next?There are lotsof opportuni-

ties to push our agenda for-ward, particularly nowmoney and other help areflowing from the UKRC. Butwe need more womenpower. You filled in themembership survey, didn’tyou? (Late submissions arestill welcome.) Can you alsoput some effort where yourmouth is and help theSociety to work on thethings on your wish list?Many of our members areworking on other initiativesas well, but WES does havea unique voice based on itslong history and deep con-nections. It’s a good way toadvance ‘the cause’.

Think about coming toour next Council meeting tomeet the current team andto gain some idea of what isneeded. I wish I could tellyou when and where, butthe published date is diffi -cult for so many people thatwe are checking to see if wecan change it. Use the web-site to find out or email theoffice.

Finally, I do hope that youcan attend conference thisyear. It sounds as though itwill be both fun and useful.It is also another way to getyour opinion heard and tohelp shape WES into aneffective organisation forthe future.

Pam Wain

4 The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005

The above photo was taken at the Eastern Region EngineeringEducation Scheme Celebration and Assessment Day at RAF Honington. Dawn Fitt was in attendance as a chair of assessors. There were 15teams representing 15 schools and all projects were to a very highstandard. The chair of the chair of assessors, David Upton summarisedthe day by saying that even if some of the students did not want topursue STEM careers, then at least they had been given an insight thata lot of people don’t get and whatever their chosen career, he hopedthat the new skills that they had learned would equip them well forwhatever they chose to do.

MENTORSET HAS obtainedfunding from the UK ResourceCentre for women in Science,Engineering and Technology(UKRC). The funding will secureMentorSET’s future, enable it tobuild upon previous successand help 60+ new women ayear.

MentorSET will remain aWES project, while forgingstrong links with the UKRC.Shared training workshops andevents are planned, enablingmentors and mentees to attendevents closer to home.

Funding is being sought forthe MentorSET Peer2peergroup which is a support groupfor women who are experienc-ing career issues due to theirethnic background. Fundingwill enable the group to holdmeetings and training events.

MentorSET has made anenormous difference to someof our mentees’ working livesand all involved with the run-ning of MentorSET are delight-ed that the scheme will contin-ue and be able to help others.As ever, if you would like tofind out more about MentorSETor the Peer2peer group pleasesee our web site www.men-torset.org.uk or contactinfo@mentorset.org.uk.

MentorSETobtainsfunding

Julia Higgins presented theUniversity of Southampton’sWomen in Science, Engineeringand Technology (WiSET) group’ssecond Campbell Lecture in May.

Julia’s subject was ‘The respons-ibility of being a scientist’. She com-mented: “Society funds sciencethrough its taxes, but has little con-trol of the uses made of science, andwhile it enjoys the benefits it also suf-fers any ill consequences of the appli-cations directly and pays again forany clean-up operation.

“Scientists have an absoluteresponsibility not only to do their sci-ence well but also to be open to thejudgement and opinions of the com-munity in whose name and at whoseexpense they are doing it. Only byentering a real dialogue, admittingthe risks as well as hailing the poten-tial benefits of new knowledge, willwe maintain the respect and trust ofsociety, and restore it where it hasbeen damaged.”

Professor Dame Julia Higgins isProfessor of Polymer Science atImperial College.

The WiSET group, launched in2002, has also been involved in areview of the promotion of women,including the funding of an ActionLearning Set, a childcare survey andthe development of mentoring net-works.

IMechE president Bill Edgar hosted a lunch for WES president PamWain at IMechE HQ on 16 March. The lunch allowed Pam to meetsome of the Institution’s senior female engineers and discuss theprofile and promotion of women in engineering.

The photo shows Pam with Bill Edgar plus (from left) KerryMashford, chair Manufacturing Industries Group, CEO MichaelMoore, Jean Billingsley, chair Midland Region, Sarah Bishop, chairAerospace Industries, Penny Taylor, chair Automobile Division andNicole Sanderson, Trustee Board.

Julia Higgins

The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005 9

COUNCILupdateHeather Bilton reports on what happened at the Council meeting on 23 April

There was good news aboutMentorSET. Following the ces-sation of DTI funding in March,

funding has been secured to allowthe good work of MentorSET to con-tinue for the foreseeable future (see p4). Thanks are due to everyone whowas involved in this work. With thenew funds there is an opportunity forMentorSET to continue to expand. Ifyou are interested in being a menteeor mentor use the link on the WESweb page to find out more.

Plans for conference are also pro-ceeding well. This year the confer-

ence will be in York. An outline of theprogram is on page 6 with a bookingform on page 7; details are also avail-

able on the website. With the opening of the UK

Resource Centre in Bradford there isthe opportunity to add your name toan ‘Experts Database’. The databasewill hold the details of women whoare experienced in their particular

field. It’s intended to use this data-base to draw on the knowledge ofwomen engineers throughout thecountry. Although the term expert isused, please don’t be put off. Don’tbe shy about putting your name for-ward. There is also a link to this onthe website.

We are currently seeking newoffice accommodation for WES (seePam’s article on p1). In the process ofreducing excess luggage in prepara-tion for any move, a large number ofold journals have been discovered.Many of these will be making theirway to the conference, where atten-dees will be invited to take away a lit-tle piece of WES history. Feel free toask a friend to pick some up for youor if you are in the London areaarrange a time to call into the office.

If you don’t have access to theinternet, please call the WES officefor more information on any of theabove.

Due to other commitments,some members have relin-

quished their role as a cluster con-tact. I would like to take this oppor-tunity to thank all those who havegiven your time since the inceptionof clusters. Being a cluster contactis a valuable mechanism for theflow of information. We need vol-unteers for the following regions:

North West – Liverpool, Wirral,Skelmersdale, Chester andEllesmere Port, Salford &Warrington

Southern – Mid Hants(Winchester/Eastleigh)Northern Ireland – whole regionDuties for a regional cluster con-

tact are minimal, but you can domore if you wish. The minimalduties are to contact new members(or potential members) in yourregion, and circulate informationabout local events. Optional extrasare to arrange events, take part inWES consultations, build up yourlocal group to become a circle.

If you are interested contactDawn Fitt: dawn.fitt@ntlworld.com.

Wanted: Cluster contacts

From your MembershipOfficer...

Life is full of surprises and mineis no exception. As member-ship officer it is my job to pre-

pare all the subscription letters tosend out to members before April1. My second child was due in Apriland I was looking forward to fin-ishing work at the end of February,leaving me plenty of time to getthe subs letters done. Oh howwrong I was!

Little Katharine arrived very rap-idly on February 19, over 6 weekspremature. Being so early, shespent the start of her life in theSpecial Care Baby Unit and I stayedin hospital with her. So much forhaving plenty of time for letters!My husband resurrected a very oldlaptop PC and loaded it with animage of the WES membershipdatabase so that I could get onwith the letters in hospital.

The laptop only had a CD ROM,with no facility to transfer filesacross so once I had written abatch of letters, my husband wouldtake the laptop home, print the let-ters and bring the laptop back onhis next visit. So, apologies thatsome of you got your letters ratherlate but I did my best given the cir-cumstances!

I’d like to say thank you to every-one who has been in touch andprovided up-to-date contact detailsor who has answered one of myqueries. I am hugely grateful andhave really enjoyed speaking to somany lovely people. I am graduallyworking my way through all theupdates but with a new baby andanother child under 2, it is taking awhile. For anyone who is stillawaiting a response from me abouta query, please be patient, I haven’tforgotten you and will respond assoon as I can.

Karen Quigley

“The ExpertsDatabase isintended to drawon the knowledgeof womenengineersthroughout thecountry“

The Woman Engineer – Summer 20058

Dismay at current understand -ing of the importance of scienceand technology led Alec Broersto address this topic in the 2005BBC Reith lectures.

LORD BROERS, president of theRoyal Academy and chairman ofthe House of Lords Science andTechnology Committee, is a pioneerof nanotechnology. He studiedengineering at Melbourne andCambridge universities, and thenworked in research and develop-ment for IBM in the USA for 19years. He returned to Cambridge asprofessor of electrical engineeringin 1984 and became Master ofChurchill College in 1990. He washead of Cambridge’s EngineeringDepartment from 1993-96 and wasVice-Chancellor of the universityfrom 1996 to 2003.

Technology and our futur e

In his first lecture, broadcast onApril 6, Lord Broers described ourdependency upon technology fromthe beginning of civilisation, citingthe neolithic ‘Grimes Graves’ anastonishing excavation of four hun-dred mine shafts dug 4000 yearsago to excavate high quality flints.

“Technology provides the meansfor the third world to join the firstworld and, besides, if we do notunderstand it better we will fallbehind in our intellectual, socialand material development,” hesaid.

A recent public poll to rankBritain’s greatest inventions hadput the safety bicycle in first place.

“The bicycle is of course aningenious, practical and sustainableinvention, which brought newopportunities for people in everystratum of society. But to place itahead of the fundamental accom-plishments of Faraday, Stephenson,Maxwell, Thomson, Whittle andCrick & Watson demonstrates in mymind a profound misunderstandingof the contribution of advancedtechnologies to our lives.”

Advances in modern technologytended to be perceived as resultingfrom computers and electroniccommunications, but advances intransport, medicine, energy andweaponry have probably producedthe greatest impact on our lives.

“There are few more satisfyingactivities than the creation of newtechnologies for the benefit ofhumankind. Creative engineers maynot receive the recognition theydeserve in this country but it rarelytroubles them – the satisfaction

they derive from their jobs is unsur-passed,” he concluded.

Collaboration

In his second and third lectures LordBroers emphasised the importanceof collaboration between academicsand industrialists, both nationallyand internationally, to advancetechnology. Innovation today isglobal so innovators needed to bemembers of the international com-munity in their subject, heexplained. Large companies couldachieve this through collaborativeresearch programmes with universi-ties with research goals jointlydecided. Such projects are effective

in transferring technology that hashad its origins in universities.

Companies have ceased to makeentire products themselves andhave became assemblers of theworld’s best. These trends will accel-erate as the emerging powers ofIndia and China enter the world ofinnovation as powerfully as theyentered high technology manufac-turing.

Challenge of the small

What has become known as nano-technology arose from many differ-ent technologies, Lord Broersexplained in his fourth lecture. Firstthere was the miniaturising of elec-tronics into silicon chips and thedevelopment of the scanning tun-nelling microscope. Thin film tech-nology with layers less than 1000nm thick followed and compositematerials with very small embeddedparticles and fibres. Others includethe micro-electro-mechanicaldevices (MEMS), especially sensors,ceramics, light emitting diodes,nanofiltration membranes, drug dis-covery, compact discs – and couldalso include molecular biology.

Current concerns have beenexpressed about the ability ofnanoparticles to enter living cells,

particularly in relation to titaniumoxide nanoparticles used in sunscreens to filter out damaging ultra-violet radiation, and carbon nano-tubes used in composite materials.This was a real concern whichneeded to be monitored.

Another speculative andunproven concern was molecularmanufacturing – self-replicatingmachines. To date there had beenno experimental verification thatsuch machines could be built orthat there were mechanisms bywhich they could replicate.

It was unfortunate that real con-cern about a few nanoparticles andimagined worries over nanorobots

should colour public perceptionabout what nanotechnology had tooffer, he concluded.

Public involvement inprogress

In his final lecture entitled ‘Risk andresponsibility’ Lord Broers stated:“Itis time now as a matter of urgencyand for the sake of saving our plan-et, and thus safeguarding the

future of the human race, to moveaway from the old concept of ‘thepublic understanding of science’ toa new more dynamic ‘publicengagement’.”

He believed that greater publicunderstanding of science involved arethink of the education system,which allowed young people fromthe age of 15 to study only science,or to do no science or mathematics.

“I make no distinction betweensomeone who does not know thedifference between electric currentand voltage, and someone whoknows nothing of Byron. Why is itthat we accept the former anddespise the latter? In our schools,girls now out perform boys in allsubjects, and yet most girls are fre-quently brought up to assume thatengineering and many of the sci-ences are male subjects. The wasted

potential is vast.” He cited the environmental chal -

lenge of damage caused by air androad traffic, waste, fuel and powergeneration. Power generation hadmade progress with wind, waveand tidal generators but these tech-nologies were unlikely to providemore than about a fifth of the UK’spower requirements.

“We need not be in this situa-tion. France already generates 90%of its power in a greenhouse gasfree manner – 77% nuclear and13% hydro. We are going to haveto re-examine the nuclear option,”he said. “But public assessment ofrisk, and trust, or lack of trust, in

technologists has brought us to animpasse that endangers our planet.The growth of naive green politicsis endangering future generationsas we reject technological solutionsthat could perhaps save us.”

Ethical issues became still morecomplex when associated with newtechnologies, and he believed itpreferable for companies, institu-tions, universities to develop theirown sets of ethical guidelines ratherthan for governments to regulate.Fast advances were needed to dealwith problems and over-regulationwas a risk to our future.

Everyone would benefit from abetter understanding of risk andhow we decide what is acceptablerisk. One crucial recommendationproposed was that accident investi -gation should concentrate on find-ing the cause of the accidents notthe person or persons to blame.

He concluded with his predictionof what technology could achievein the years ahead.

Technology will be able to solveincreasingly larger problems, hebelieved, and to achieve 95% accu-racy in weather forecasting, hospi-tals in which mistakes are almostnever made, the alleviation ofpoverty, and further reductions inaccident rates on roads and rail.

Technology will increasingly beable to identify objects and people.Radio frequency tags may eliminatethe manual check-out in supermar-kets; keys and money wouldbecome obsolete, and we wouldenjoy greater security. These allwould raise serious matters for pub-lic engagement.

The triumph of technology

“ There are few moresatisfying activities than thecreation of new technologiesfor the benefit of humankind“

It’s something that we all eagerly

look forward to during our work -

ing lives but retirement can be a

stressful time for many people.

Health care professionals report that

some people become quite

depressed after they give up work

mainly due to loss of status and the

lack of a structured day. Like any life

change experience it is important to

plan. Most people make financial

plans but fewer plan how they are

going to fill their time. Women tend

to have more interests outside work

so planning for the future may be

easier for them.

Three WES experienced members,

who are enjoying active – even hec -

tic – retirements, share their differ -

ent experiences.

“There are definitely moredemands on my time now as thereis so much that I want to do!” saidWES honorary secretary DorothyHatfield. “It is much more difficultjuggling the diaries to accommo-date everything my husband Neiland I want to fit in – and I have todo the housework myself which is abore!

“It is true that one seems to slowdown a bit – we now sometimes sitdown to drink a cup of coffee.”

“There still never seems to beenough hours in the day,” saidLinda Maynard and JackieLongworth reports that “I dofeel as if I am back doing afull time job sometimes,though, of course, it is allvoluntary.”

Jackie’s voluntary activi-ties were put in place whilstshe was still working.

“I was active in WES andbecame WES president shortlybefore I finished at work. I was alsoat that time Chair of theGloucestershire LearningPartnership and a mem-ber of the local Learningand Skills Council andhave since maintained alink between my formeremployer (British Energy) and localeducation/learning projects as a vol-untary activity. I was also active inthe South West Regional TUC, onbehalf of my trade union (Prospect),being a member of the RegionalExecutive for several years beforeretirement and representing theTUC on the SW Regional Assembly,and this has continued.”

Jackie’s retirement plans includeda lot more travel. She did managethis for a couple of years but now“gradually the voluntary work has

taken over. It was not part of theplan that I should chair so manythings! These ‘jobs’ include chairingthe SWTUC Women’s Committee,Fair Play SW, and the RegionalAssembly.

“The last one involves me in rep-resenting the Assembly on regionalpartnerships (to do with Europe, forexample) which are learning experi -ences beyond my original retire-ment plans,” said Jackie.

Linda and her husband Bill madelong-term plans for early retirementto spend more time with theirfamily.

“When our peers were gettingbigger mortgages we were payingours off! Bill is 10 years older thanme – he retired at 50 – I continued

to work until Iwas 49 while

he lookedafter our 2

children(Annawas 3

andBenwas

8when

Bill retired).“By the time I retired Anna was

12 and Ben was 17. Anna is verysporty (she plays county netball) so Ivery much enjoy taking her to net-ball, swimming and tennis. It’s beenwonderful spending time with herwithout the thought of rushingback to work. Ben is at universitynow but helping him plan his gapyear and spending time with himhas been equally enjoyable – wellmost of the time!”

Linda was with British Gas and its

various off-shoots for over 25 yearsbefore retiring and was president ofWES from 1986-88.

Inevitably Linda found herselfinvolved in other activities.

“I have helped WES out over thelast couple of years by judging theKaren Burt Award but my mainactivity is Trafford Junior NetballClub. I’ve taken on the role oftreasurer as well as general events’management. TJNC has over 200girls between the ages of 9 and 18playing netball, which generates anincome of nearly £40,000 perannum – quite time consuming

counting £1 coins!“We are now planning for the

next phase in our lives – whenAnna goes to university – thoseMediterranean beaches await!”

Dorothy’s retirement plans includ-ed pursuing her existing interests inWES, Crawley College, the DaphneJackson Trust and the local NuthurstSociety.

“I also planned to spend moretime on the garden, travelling,walking and family history,” shesaid.

“After I retired we left on a tripto New Zealand. This proved to bea very good scheme as it made adistinct demarcation between thetwo phases of my life.”

Her plans have worked out moreor less as predicted.

“I hadn’t allowed for so heavy acommitment to WES or CrawleyCollege and I joined the localDecorative and Fine Arts Society forsomething quite different. I stilldon’t have enough time for thefamily history and would like moretime gardening and walking. Iwould also like to get around tosome sewing and more days out.”

Do they miss full-time employ-ment?

“The main thing I missed wasthe daily meeting and talking topeople. Although I see lots ofpeople through various activ-ities, it has taken a longtime to form social con-tacts and establish oppor-tunities to just chat as one

used to over thecoffee machine,”said Dorothy.“But I welcomethe flexibility ofbeing able to planone’s life withoutthe require-ment to be atan employer’sbeck andcall from8-6 everyday.”

Linda also misses “the day to daybanter in the office and the senseof achievement when a projectgoes well.”

“However, I don’t miss the earlystarts and travel down the M6through Birmingham! Although Ienjoyed work, the early morningand late nights were taking theirtoll – I now have much more ener-gy and patience to spend on myfamily. Getting the work: life bal-ance was always a battle.”

Jackie didn’t find any difficultygiving up full-time employment.“The best thing about being retiredis being able to choose what activi-ties I get involved in. And I haveenjoyed the travelling and havingmemories and photographs of theGalapagos Islands, Botswana, Peru,Jordan, China and sailing various

parts of the UKcoast.”

5The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005

Retirement – what liesbeyond?

Jackie (above); Dorothy (top right); Linda(bottom right)

CALL FOR PAPERS: DEADLINE 1 JUL Y – We are seeking papers on the generation,

t r a n s f o rmation, storage, transmission and use or saving of energy; on all types of transport past,

p resent and future; and on strategies for dealing with the development of infrastru c t u re and

supplies of both. Please send a 200 word overview of your paper with your details to:

Julie W i n n a r d, jez@adster.globalnet.co.uk 01277 234413

PROGRAMME – The conference includes keynote speakers and a panel

discussion, a technical visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre on Friday evening, and

on Saturday a choice of parallel technical sessions and industrial visits

including the National Railway Museum, the WES Annual General Meeting,

and the Annual Dinner. There will also be a small number of personal

development seminars. Conference starts noon on Friday and ends noon

S u n d a y.

PRICES AND BOOKING: DEADLINE 2 SEPTEMBER – Prices are

shown opposite on the booking form; other attendance options are possible

upon request. There will be some bursaries available for those on a low income. If you

have any enquiries please contact the main WES office, stating clearly that it concern s

c o n f e rence, or contact Julie as above.

VENUE – We will be based in Alcuin College on the campus of York University, just outside the

medieval city of York. See h t t p : / / w w w. y o r k . a c . u k / u n i v / c o n f / for more information and travel

d i rections. There is a cafeteria on campus for Friday and Sunday lunch; also banks and other

facilities. Rooms are single en-suite.

SPONSORSHIP – T h e re are a number of opportunities to sponsor the

c o n f e rence – by direct sponsorship, buying a table at the Annual Dinner or

t h rough specific assistance. There will also be exhibition space available.

Please contact the main office or Julie if intere s t e d .

C O N F E R E N C E2005

Come to the WES

Energy and Transpor tFriday 16th – Sunday 18th September 2005,York University , Alcuin College

Further information – If you have any queries contact the WES office, tel: 020 7233 1974, email: info@wes.org.uk or visit our website www.wes.org.uk

6 The Woman Engineer – Summer 20056

BOOKING FORMName

Company (if applicable)

Address

Postcode

Telephone Mobile*

Email address **

* for emergencies ONLY ** we will ONLY email you about this conference.

Please tick as appropriate WES members Non-members

Full conference £275 £350†

Sat & Sunday only £180 £240†

Saturday (including annual dinner) £121 £171†

Saturday (excluding annual dinner) £84 £134†

† Join WES before the conference and take advantage of WES member rates.

I am a member I am a non-member

Please send me more information about joining WES

I enclose my fee of £ payable to The Women’s Engineering Society

Expected arrival (which part of which day):

I am a speaker/seminar leader

I am interested in exhibition space

I am interested in sponsoring Conference

I am willing to be a helper at the conference (e.g. greet speakers, meet dinner guests)

My special requirements are:

I would like to apply for a bursary to attend Conference

Disability needs (please specify):

Dietary requirements (please specify):

Other (please specify):

Please send thecompleted form to:

ConferenceAdministrator,Women’sEngineeringSociety,22 Old QueenStreet, LondonSW1H 9HP

Tel: 020 7233 1974email:info@wes.org.uk

The Women’s Engineering

Society is a registered charity

No.1008913

www.wes.org.uk

77The Woman Engineer – Summer 2005