Women in Engineering by TWI Ltd

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

SHAPING THE FUTURE

CONTENTS Foreword 3

Aamir Khalid - TWI Chief Executive

A Lasting Legacy Bernadette Craster - Technology Fellow

A Love Of Science Led Me To Engineering Michelle Forster – Section Manager

Building Technologies Of The Future Manickavalli S – Team Leader

The Competitive Advantage Yin Jin Janin – Principal Project Leader

The Ultimate Balancing Act Eleri Weston – Senior Project Leader

Working Towards A Greener Future Kate Franklin - Senior Project Leader

Engineering A Better World Anna Wojdyla-Cieslak - Senior Project Leader

Driving Change For A Carbon Neutral Future Dorothy Winful – Project Leader 20 A Family Affair Intizar Bodurova – Project Engineer

Inspiring Our Future Generation Catherine Leahy - Apprentice Engineer

22 24

FOREWORD

Aamir Khalid TWI Chief Executive I am pleased to be writing the foreword for this new publication. It introduces just a few of our very talented women engineers that work for TWI. We have embarked on a journey over the past couple of years to promote diversity and inclusion across the Company. We hope that publishing the life stories of some of the highly successful women within TWI will provide encouragement to other women who aspire to a career in engineering. Ebiquity found that a lack of visible

female role models is a key factor in discouraging women from achieving their business ambition. We hope that the women profiled in these pages will inspire the next generation of women engineers. The articles within this publication highlight the milestones, the positives and the challenges that these women encountered on their career journey and yet, they are enjoying successful and rewarding careers in engineering. As I reflect on the investment, time and effort that has been invested in the TWI culture change since I became Chief Executive in 2019, I am struck by how far we have come. We have launched an ‘Inspiring women leaders’ campaign, with over 60 of our female colleagues invited to attend workshops to empower and equip them with the skills needed to become our leaders of the future. This is in support of my commitment as Chief Executive to have 1/3 of females in leadership roles by 2025. We recognise that there is still more to do, but we will continue to take positive

action to support women in engineering. We recognise that by supporting top female talent, we are not only responding to the need to reduce our Gender Pay Gap, but more importantly we are creating a culture of inclusivity – we want to encourage different perspectives and experiences that inspire innovation. Diversity in the business is a proven driver of economic growth and therefore tackling underrepresentation is a necessity, not a ‘nice to have.’ Inspired by a publication by Innovate UK, from their ‘Changing the World campaign’ we have decided to create our own celebration of female talent within TWI. Be inspired! Aamir Khalid TWI Chief Executive

A LASTING LEGACY Bernadette Craster Technology Fellow

From a young age, I was always interested in science and when given the choice of a gift, I would sometimes ask for a chemistry or physics set. I never felt like I was studying science in school for exams, more that I was interested to learn about it. I was also very lucky to grow up in a home where education was seen as an enabler that previous generations could not afford. I would probably consider myself an applied scientist rather than an engineer. I’ve been lucky to have been trained and mentored in my career to ask more of the why and less of the how. Having worked on polymeric materials, both inorganic and organic, for decades, I can use scientific principles to assist with material choices and propose ageing mechanisms through chemo mechanical responses. My first degree was a BSc in Applied Physics and Applied Chemistry, awarded from Trinity College, Dublin in 1988.I started my career in 1989 working as a research assistant at Schlumberger Cambridge Research. I was given the opportunity to obtain my MSc and my PhD when I worked there on materials chemistry topics relating to Oil and Gas. I spent short periods of my career with Schlumberger working outside the UK and between 2006-2011, I worked in Edmonton Alberta in Canada. Dual careers always require some flexibility and I was lucky

that my husband’s employer gave him a sabbatical to enable him to move with me and the children. It was in 2011 when we made the decision to move back to the UK so that our children could attend University in Europe. I joined TWI in 2012 as a Materials Specialist in Polymers and now I am a Technology Fellow on Polymeric Materials and Ageing through Permeation Processes in the Materials and Structural Integrity group. In my role I work with Member companies and colleagues to ensure that TWI is prepared to provide relevant technical support now and in the years to come. I have contributed towards a facility that allows TWI to do scientific study that underpins the introduction of non-metallic materials at various scale into traditional oil and gas and now new energy areas. Permeation methodologies and data interpretations give the client a better understanding of how a material is ageing with a reduced cost to them. Perhaps the only challenge I have encountered as a female engineer in a male dominated industry is that I’ve had to work harder to build my professional network. A lot of the networking tended to happen outside of work. All working relationships therefore tend to be developed within the working environment and that can mean that rapport and trust takes longer to establish.

As for my remaining career ambitions, I would like to consolidate the topic of permeation for TWI so in 10 years’ time the activity my team and I have created remains as a lasting legacy. During this time I will take the opportunity to mentor junior colleagues through the processes of scientific interpretation of data collected from unique experiments.

I would like to consolidate the topic of permeation for TWI so in 10 years’ time the activity my team and I have created remains as a lasting legacy.

Bernadette Craster

A LOVE OF SCIENCE LED ME TO ENGINEERING Michelle Forster – Section Manager Whilst Michelle was at school she realised she was the only one that seemed to enjoy building electronic circuits in Physics. This passion for Physics continued throughout her education and led her to study Applied Physics at University, before completing a PhD in the manufacture of wide bandwidth transducers for underwater sonar systems. After an 11 year career with Doosan Babcock working on automated ultrasonic inspections in nuclear power plants, Michelle continued to develop her career and knowledge with EDF Energy before joining TWI as a Principal Project Leader in 2018. Michelle has since been promoted to Section Manager of the NDE Inspection Services Section. Working in nuclear applications since starting her Engineering

career in 2007, Michelle says ‘I really enjoy working to offer urgent and critical support to the customer. I enjoy devising a solution which can then be implemented onsite and allow the customer to continue plant operation.’ More recently, Michelle has been working on the NDT methods selected for manufacturing UK small modular reactors in conjunction with Rolls Royce and Nuclear AMRC. Michelle told us ‘I think this is a great investment for the future of the UK and I am proud to be involved from the start.’

throughout my career and I’ve never encountered any major career challenges.’ ‘I was referred to as the apprentice…when I was actually the Team Lead.’ As for the future, Michelle intends to further develop her career within TWI and support the winning of more business in the nuclear sector. ‘I am always keen to increase my knowledge within NDT and promote a design for inspection process where NDT is considered at the early stages of design instead of when a crack or defect is found.’

So what has it been like forging a successful career to Section Manager level in such a male dominated industry (a recent study by the Royal Academy of Engineering found that the percentage of female engineers across industry is currently estimated to be 11%). ‘Well’ says Michelle, ‘I have often had to prove that I can complete site work to the same ability as a male. When I initially started my career I was offered 8 hour days on site instead of the usual 12 hours and there was an occasion when I was referred to as the apprentice by another working party when I was actually the Team Lead. It can also be the little things - on nuclear power plants the walk to the toilets is often twice as long for females! However, I have been lucky to be supported by good managers and colleagues

I think this is a great investment for the future of the UK and I am proud to be involved from the start.

Michelle Forster

BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE Manickavalli S – Team Leader As a science graduate, specialising in multimedia I have acquired over 10 years’ experience in the eLearning industry and am currently working for TWI as an Instructional Designer managing a small team and I am responsible for coordinating, developing, and managing the team from the planning to delivery stage of projects. I have always loved to work on new technologies and explore different possibilities that will be benefit and empower the growth of the organisation. Though I have done engineering related projects in my previous organisations, I was very much fascinated about the science behind engineering after I joined in TWI. I am able to connect my work with the latest advancements in engineering and management sectors which

plays a crucial role in the global economy. I love to work in Augmented reality, and in the future I would like to explore Artificial Intelligence, which will give the technology user an insight of content, enhance their understanding and in turn will give them a better customer experience. I aim to become an AI design expert within the next 3 years and I am supporting this by completing courses and practises to become an industry competent expert in AR and mixed reality.

I have been able to balance my professional aspirations with my personal vision. Manickavalli S

Being a parent will always be my top priority, and I am proud that I have been able to balance my professional aspirations with my personal vision. Creativity and application are the basic skillset

required for any eLearning industry professional. I had to stretch and prove my capabilities during the start of my career, as most organisations were only expecting male candidates for such roles. My biggest career challenge is being able to remain competitive with the tools we have available in a rapidly emerging market – continuous learning is required to remain a competitive advantage. The CSWIP Plant Inspection course and IOSH Managing Safely (accredited by IOSH eLearning) have had a great impact for TWI to enhance the training courses we offer. Furthermore, the conversion of the WIS 5 and WIS 10 presentations to eLearning courses during the pandemic situation has helped us to retain candidates and created greater flexibility by allowing students to do their training at their own pace.

THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Yin Jin Janin – Principal Project Leader After completion of secondary school (equivalent to GCSE / O-level in the UK), I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps into the oil & gas industry but I didn’t achieve the grades to secure a scholarship. Instead, I pursued a degree in Materials & Manufacturing Engineering. Though Metallurgy and Engineering Maths won me brownie points at University, I was discouraged by someone telling me that I would be better at “managing” than “problemsolving”. Being an intern at Petronas 20 years ago made me realise that I very much preferred tackling problems than sitting in a chair and pointing my finger at people. Upon completing my EngDoc in Nuclear Engineering, I chose to pursue a career in fracture mechanics, having thoroughly enjoyed working in

this field and I haven’t looked back since! I am currently working as a fracture mechanics engineer in FTM section where I have delivered several projects that have had a significant impact across industry. I worked on the most recent edition of BS 7910 which was released in 2019 (BS 7910 is an industry standard describing methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures). I am also part of TWI’s CrackWISE® development team (CrackWISE® is designed to assist users with structural integrity assessments of pipelines, pressure equipment and metallic structures containing flaws in line with BS 7910 procedure). The most rewarding part of my job is getting to work with colleagues from different backgrounds (of both expertise and geographies) and delivering optimised solutions to our Members. I always feel the most pride and am the most relieved to learn that our Members’ operations are able to proceed safely with high confidence after we demonstrate that the defective components of interest were acceptable. Another career highlight for me was when I worked on a single client project involving a FPSO unit (floating production storage and offloading). It came in as a minor enquiry and the customer needed it finishing within two months. We encountered a few challenges along the way before we were able to identify the issue. Assessing hundreds

of defective welds required combined efforts from both the UK and SEA offices and it was a real learning curve for the project team. We knew a delay in completing the project would incur a huge cost for the customer (we’re talking £m’s), so the team in SEA and the UK worked through the night and at weekends to ensure the problem was resolved. We were over the moon when we were told that the FPSO finally sailed away SAFELY! I am looking forward to continuing my career with TWI to support the organisation by maintaining a competitive advantage in fracture mechanics and engineering consultancy. I am excited to keep on developing new opportunities especially in probabilistic assessments. My personal ambition is to become a fluent French speaker in the next 10 years. “We knew a delay in completing the project would incur a huge cost for the customer...we were over the moon when we were told that the FPSO finally sailed away SAFELY!”

THE ULTIMATE BALANCING ACT Eleri Weston – Senior Project Leader I didn’t ‘discover’ engineering for a long time. Throughout my education I loved to learn and had a proficiency for maths and science. I chose to follow this throughout my higher education and ended up studying physics at university. When the time came to start thinking about what career I wanted to go into when my degree finished, I had a discussion with a friend of my Mother who worked within the micro engineering department at Cardiff University. They had an opening for a PhD in micro engineering using laser and she encouraged me to apply, which I did, and I was successful in getting the role. I was lucky to be offered an industrially sponsored PhD and so was able to learn parts of academic engineering and the industrial companion. During my time at Cardiff University, I was lucky to be

part of a scheme aimed at introducing school children into the world of engineering. This was something that I felt was lacking from my background and this could have helped me realise a quicker path into a career in engineering if I had been educated about what a career in engineering entailed at a younger age. I joined TWI directly from my PhD to complete a two year fellowship under the NRN scheme and then became a senior project leader in Radiography. Since becoming a senior project leader, I have been involved in a large, high profile, industrial production job for an aerospace company. The work involved both procedural development and industrial inspection as well as the associated logistics and quality control measures. This project not only has a large impact for the company in ensuring quality standards but has also allowed me to grow in my career and pinpoint the areas of my work that I am most passionate about and would like to continue to develop. I am currently leading a collaborative project on the development of a robotic radiographic inspection system for wind turbine blades. I am also leading the delivery of a single client project with an aerospace company developing standard references for their x-ray computed tomography inspection. I would like to be able to

continue to grow my career by working on a variety of projects in the areas of research and procedural development. For a large proportion of my engineering career, I have been the only woman in my department. I was exposed to engineering by a male friend and supported throughout my PhD by male colleagues. Although during my time working at TWI Wales I have been in a male dominated environment, I have never felt anything other than encouraged and accepted. “My main career challenge has been as a result of becoming a parent and having to find a balance between my role at TWI and my role as a mother.” I had my first child during my PhD and my second in 2019 during my time as a senior project leader. Although, this has at times presented challenges for me, I have always felt supported by my manager and team at TWI. Having said that, becoming a mother for the second time and taking maternity leave has impacted my career in terms of career progression due to the extended period of time I took away from work. The loss of some of my contacts during this time and the fast pace at which engineering projects progress in general means I will have lost pace in my career progression. However, my team and my manager have been understanding and supportive in finding ways to mitigate any long term effect on my career.

WORKING TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE Kate Franklin Senior Project Leader

After completing a PhD in Materials Engineering at the University of Birmingham, Kate realised the potential a career in engineering has to change societal outcomes by working on developing more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for a greener future. ‘There’s so many projects that we get to work on as engineers that can positively shape the future. The rewarding nature of a career in engineering was highlighted to me whilst studying for my PhD.’ Kate completed her PhD in collaboration with Rolls-Royce Plc where she worked on developing friction welding of Nickel Superalloys. Superalloys are able to operate at higher temperatures due to their incredibly high strength in very challenging high temperature environments. Kate explains that ‘Enabling a turbine engine to work at higher temperatures increases both efficiency and performance of the engine as the fuel burn is reduced.’ It is not just the materials development that can reduce the environmental impact though; ‘Friction welding also allows for a reduction in weight, achieved by removing the need for heavy mechanical fasteners by producing a high quality, repeatable joint’ Kate joined the Friction & Forge Processes (FFP) section at TWI in 2019 where she has worked on a series of projects developing hydrogen fuel tanks, parts

for electric vehicles, nuclear energy and medical devices to name a few. When asked what project she has worked on that she feels has had the biggest impact on society, Kate deliberates ‘Every project I work on has the potential to make an beneficial impact on society, whether that be by increasing product safety, reducing cost or reducing environmental impact. The wide range of members we work for is incredible, and each opportunity to contribute to a change in the way we make things for the better is relished and enjoyed.’

The technological advances we have made are impressive; we now need to make them an industrial reality on a colossal scale.

Kate Franklin

ENGINEERING A BETTER WORLD Anna Wojdyla-Cieslak Senior Project Leader “The engineering gene came from my father. Since being a child, I was always interested about engineering and wanted to understand how things work and how they are built.” I completed my MSc in Chemical Engineering, specialising in Fuel Technology at the University of Science and Technology in Cracow, Poland. Following from this, I received my PhD in High Performance Materials at Brunel University’s Department of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering as part of the NSIRC programme. I joined TWI to do my PhD programme. After completing my PhD, I was offered a job at TWI as a Project Leader and I have since progressed to Senior Project Leader and am working in the Novel Polymer Technologies (NPT) section.

My work focuses around the development and evaluation of various coatings for the aerospace, automotive, power and construction sectors. This includes low surface energy coatings with anti-icing, anti-erosion and low friction properties. I’m excited to be a part of it, as it gives me the opportunity to make the world a better, safer and greener place. I also get to work with and meet really interesting people. I think the most interesting projects I have had the pleasure of working on was one where the project team developed anti-icing coating systems for aerospace. As a person that travels a lot, I do see a great need for such a novel technology. Ice is a huge problem for all sorts of transport. It not only increases fuel consumption, it causes delays and a lot of unwanted waste, and can be extremely dangerous. I have recently started work on a project that addresses the main aspects related with materials durability and maintenance in offshore structures where we are looking to increase efficiencies in energy generation to reduce O&M and capital costs. The project targets are focused on enhancing corrosion protection systems and durability, producing effective and durable antifouling solutions without using biocides, erosion protection and mechanical reinforcement in wind blades, predictive modelling and monitoring with an aim to also increase recyclability. I’m proud

and excited to be a part of this project. Working in a male dominated industry such as engineering can present some challenges. When women work in nontraditional roles, it’s still seen as something of a novelty. I think that in engineering women have to work twice as hard as men, to prove that they are as good in this kind of job too. I’ve heard very often that men are better in engineering than women. However, I don’t believe in it. I think women bring something different to engineering, a different view to it all. I have to say that I was lucky, as I was always supported in my choice of becoming an engineer. But, I do know that many women are not as lucky and that’s why I’m really pleased that the culture is changing and in the years to come, we will see more and more female engineers.

THE FUTURE OF ENGINEERING

DRIVING CHANGE FOR A CARBON NEUTRAL FUTURE Dorothy Winful – Project Leader At what age did you realise a passion for Engineering and what triggered this? I must give credit to the many STEM programmes that were available in London when I was a teenager. I was encouraged by my teachers at secondary school to apply, and it was during a residential summer school programme at Imperial College where I first had the word engineer engraved into my subconscious. It came to some surprise to my parents that I had chosen to study engineering, as there was no one in our direct family or community that were engineers at the time. I did some research into engineering before choosing my A-levels and was amazed by the breadth of career options available. I found myself noticing and admiring the positive impact of engineering on society. One of my favourite pieces of engineering is the

Oresund Tunnel/Bridge, which soars from the waters between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. A few weeks before starting my undergraduate degree, I saw the bridge from the airplane as it landed into Copenhagen Airport and then experienced it on the train to Malmö. The excitement of seeing the bridge in the flesh felt like a confirmation that I was about to study the right degree. What specialism did you complete your degree(s) in? I studied an integrated masters in General Engineering at University of Leicester, as I was undecided of what type of engineering to do. I also did a year abroad at the University of Miami, and completed a few modules in architecture and environmental engineering. I then found myself specialising in material science after completing my third and fourth year projects with ALSTOM (now GE) and TE Connectivity, respectively. I finally went on to

complete a PhD in metallurgy and structural engineering, where I investigated the performance of different high strength steels and elevated temperatures for structural fire design purposes. At what stage of your career did you join TWI? I am still at the start of my career when I consider how many more years there are until retirement. I came to TWI in 2014, to pursue a PhD with TWI and Brunel University, through NSIRC. I then became a project leader at TWI in December 2017. What is your current job role? I am project leader within the Materials, Performance and Characterisation (MPC) section. I lead and support various single client projects, which range from failure investigation of ferritic components, to testing of metals under extreme environments including, elevated temperatures,

gaseous hydrogen and sour environments. I enjoy the diversity of projects I get involved with at TWI. What technologies are you most proud of working on and/ or developing? Definitely supporting characterisation of materials for the hydrogen industry. This is a growing area and it is great to be able to contribute towards developing a safe infrastructure to support the drive towards a carbon neutral future. Which of the projects you have worked on do you think has had the biggest impact and why?

I have managed a few interesting failure investigations, which are rarely straightforward. They tend to be a learning process for colleagues, the client and myself as we attempt to deduce the likely cause of failure and consider how to mitigate the risk of similar failures in the future. What career challenges (if any) have you had to overcome to be successful in such a male dominated industry? I am modest about my achievements and with the increased interest of creating a diverse workforce, I have sometimes found people assume I have been chosen to fill in a quota for being what is

considered a ‘double minority’. Such thoughts are shattered quite quickly once people get to know me. I hope my attitude and the quality of my work speak for itself. What are your future ambitions? My short-term ambitions are to continue to flourish at TWI, diversify my knowledge, support more clients and obtain chartership. My long-term ambitions are to see more of the world and ultimately become a ‘fountain of knowledge’ in order to encourage and support others.

A FAMILY AFFAIR Intizar Bodurova – Project Engineer My interest in engineering grew in early childhood as I watched and admired my father who was a specialist in engineering himself. My father used to say to me “an engineer is defined not by the position one has in a company, but by one’s mindset. One could be a process engineer or an aerospace engineer, that’s not important because the true engineer can adapt in both areas and learn to solve any technical problem.” I remember being so impressed by these words as a child, so when I arrived at a processing plant for the first time during my student internship I was amazed by the scale of the plant and the wide net of pipes and columns and from this, my will to become an engineer grew even stronger. I completed my masters degree in petrochemistry (a branch of chemistry that studies the

transformation of crude oil and natural gas into products or raw materials) because I wanted to deepen my knowledge in one of the areas that has an impact on the economics of my country. I joined TWI because I considered it to be the best organisation to start my engineering career with. During my career with TWI I have progressed from a young specialist into a project engineer, made possible because of the experience and skills I have developed at TWI. I am currently working on the modernisation and reconstruction of a 45-year old plant unit as part of a government project called SOCAR HAOR (Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery). My role is to prepare final assessment of pipelines and equipment based on the inspection data and make recommendations for dealing with the challenges connected to the highlighted pipelines/ equipment. Engineering is a heavily

male dominated industry and although I’ve never felt uncomfortable coming into a heavily male dominated industry the fact that female representation is low across industry shouldn’t be ignored. Any preconceived ideas my male colleagues might have had about me because I’m a female were quickly shattered by my skill and commitment to my work. I praise TWI’s ambitions to advance the number of women employees in senior positions across the organisation. I can see that TWI is focused on its’ goals, achievements and vision. My future ambitions are focused on my professional improvement. I strive to be a part of the new challenging projects and the new calls. I want to meet new, bright people, share knowledge and ideas and keep up with new industry trends all whilst working safely, environmentally friendly and smartly.

My father used to say to me “an engineer is defined not by the position one has in a company, but by one’s mindset.”

Intizar Bodurova

INSPIRING OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS Catherine Leahy Apprentice Engineer

My passion for engineering began whilst studying my A-levels in physics, maths and chemistry. I was looking for a profession that combined all three of the subjects I loved and engineering was just that. When I was 16 I visited Cambridge University on a three day residential course and during this time I was exposed to a working research laboratory for the first time (both in the Cavendish laboratories), and I knew from then that I wanted to do a practical lab based job. I joined TWI straight out of school at the age of 18 when I had no previous experience of working in engineering. I had made the decision that I wanted to complete my degree whilst working in a practical setting and I am currently undertaking my degree apprenticeship with the University of Warwick in Applied Engineering. I love the benefits of attaining my degree using the apprenticeship scheme. Apprenticeships are often perceived as an option for nonacademic people, but I was very academic at school, I just knew I didn’t want to start my working career with high student debts. With an apprenticeship I get to earn a full salary whilst at University, I get to apply my knowledge, learn from experts and have been able to progress my career whilst still completing my course. I am lucky enough to learn from some exceptionally knowledgeable colleagues at TWI and spending time learning from someone at Bernadette’s

level is something I wouldn’t get in a lecture room. My job role is a Senior Corrosion Technician and I undertake a combination of practical lab based and desk based work. This consists of planning and setting up various corrosion tests in the labs, as well as doing post-test data processing and analysis. During my short time here at TWI, the technologies I am most proud to be working on have to be renewable energy’s. Working towards a future where renewable energy is widely used over fossil fuels is something I am very passionate about and I am very proud to be contributing to this in any way I can. This includes corrosion testing of thermally sprayed aluminium coatings for application in offshore wind farms as well as testing high entropy alloys and coatings for application in geothermal power plants. Being 1 of 4 female technicians of over 100 technicians comes with its fair share of challenges. This can be simple things like women’s PPE not being readily available when working in the labs or people assuming I am unable to use a piece of equipment because I’m a female.

I am fortunate to contribute towards TWI’s STEM outreach activities and I love going into classrooms and letting little girls know the possibilities a career in engineering can offer whilst smashing the stereotype of who a female engineer can be.

I love the benefits of attaining my degree using the apprenticeship scheme. Apprenticeships are often perceived as an option for non-academic people, but I was very academic at school.

Catherine Leahy

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