Engineering Success

Engineering Success interviews Virtue Igbokwuwe a Civil Engineer working at Taylor Woodrow.

As a Master’s graduate in Civil Engineering with a First Class Honours degree, Virtue ishighly dedicated and enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the Engineering field with theultimate aim to become a Chartered Civil Engineer.

In addition to being a Civil Engineer at Taylor Woodrow, Virtue is a part-time YouTuber. Her channel,“The Virtuous Life”, with more than 5,000 subscribers and 400,000 views, has provided her with a unique platform to reach a wider audience and serve as a role model for those seeking representation in the field.

She is also an ICESTEM Ambassador and does various outreach work in hopes to inspire the younger generation. Her work has allowed her to participate in an Engineeringgame show presented by Richard Hammond.

Engineering Success interviews Joshua Bruce currently studying an undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Alongside his studies, Joshua spearheads an international initiative called the Young Engineers Summit. This unique summit aims to dismantle barriers, raise awareness, and create opportunities for participants to shape their own futures and contribute to the future of engineering.

For Joshua, engineering is not just about numbers and equations; it represents a powerful tool for innovation and positive change.

Driven by a strong desire to empower the next generation, Joshua is dedicated to helping young individuals recognize and unlock their full potential as agents of positive change in the world.

His commitment to breaking down cultural and ethnic barriers is a huge driving force behind his involvement in with Mission 44. Joshua firmly believes that by harnessing their strengths, young people can make significant and meaningful contributions to society.

Through his various roles and endeavours, Joshua exemplifies a relentless pursuit of his passions and a genuine commitment to making a positive impact in the world of engineering and beyond.

Engineering Success interviews Dr Ama Frimpong.

Ama is Head of Product Development at 52 North Health Ltd, where she leads the company’s engineering teams. She is a multi-award-winning engineer including being named the 2022 Young Woman Engineer of the Year by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and Top 50 Women in Engineering (Inventors and Innovators) by the Women’s Engineering Society.

She has a love for Global Health and Engineering, and has spent her career at the forefront of healthcare innovations making significant contributions to the technical development of a wide range of products and processes.She is also passionate about advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in young people with a particular focus on girls and those from the Global Ethnic Majority.

Engineering Success interviews Lucy Davies an Integration Engineer at BAE Systems.

Lucy studied for an MEng in Aeronautical Engineering at Loughborough University, completing a summer and year internship during her course before joining the BAE Systems graduate scheme in September 2021.

During her graduate scheme she worked at the forefront of aerospace technology and has contributed directly to the next generation of military aircraft design through the Tempest programme. Lucy worked as a Safety Integration Engineer which meant that she worked on every element of the platform and completed analysis that led to physical design changes on the aircraft.

After recently finishing on the graduate scheme Lucy has taken a new role on BAE System’s new Electric Products programme, working on cutting edge sustainable aircraft design.

Lucy recently passed her IEng and is now an Incorporated Engineer with the Royal Aeronautical Society.

During university Lucy noticed the disparity between the number of male and females studying engineering and started devoting time to showcasing the STEM field to younger people. Through her tenure as the Programme President she was able to establish the courses first EDI committee and has since carried on this work, being an active STEM ambassador and now sitting on the WISE Young Professionals’ Board as the Engagement Lead.

Engineering Success interviews Charlotte Huntley a Junior Electrical, Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineer.

Charlotte joined Arcadis in 2016 as an apprentice and has since developed into an Engineer. Charlotte produces design and engineering solutions across multiple Water Industry Clients on drinking water and wastewater projects.

Charlotte has obtained her Diploma, HNC and HND with Distinction grades, and has just been awarded a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with first class honours.

Charlotte became professionally registered as an Engineering Technician with the IET in 2018.

Charlotte was awarded Apprentice of the year in 2020 by the Pump Centre as part of their Young Engineer Awards. She was also awarded Technician of the Year with the IET in 2022.

Charlotte is a STEM ambassador and regularly volunteers to mentor disadvantaged youths interested in engineering and/ or apprenticeships. She has also published case studies with the Engineering Council discussing the benefits that being professionally registered has brought her, in the hopes this would inspire others in the industry.

Engineering Success interviews Jacqueline Chinwe a Future Energy Leader and STEM Advocate.

Jacqueline has 7 years’ experience in the oil, gas and renewable energy sector, representing a few of the top tier International Oil Companies (IOCs) and National Oil Companies (NOCs) within the EMEA & APAC region. She holds a degree in Oil & Gas Management and a masters in Offshore & Ocean Technology with Subsea Engineering.

Her career initiated as Project Controls Engineer leading large infrastructure projects across Europe, Asia and Africa. She is currently a Finance Business Partner for the Strategy, Sustainability and Ventures team at bp, providing business performance oversight to bp’s Executive Leadership Team.

Jacqueline has a huge passion for the progression of females, underrepresented ethnic groups and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is an advocate for DE&I, psychological safety and mental well-being, appointed Ambassador at bp, Board Member at the Association for BME Engineers (AFBE-UK) and Future Energy Leader 2023 at the World Energy Council.

Jacqueline is well-known for a diligent synthesis of stamina, skill and talent previously involved in strategic initiatives to challenge the status quo. She aspires to become a global energy leader who implements positive change and brings forth sustainable energy transition solutions.

Engineering Success interviews Colette Bell is an Engineer at Roke.

Colette works as a full-stack software engineer on her current project, she also chairs the Women in Roke ERG and leads the STEM outreach out of Roke’s Manchester office.

Colette has a MEng degree in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Manchester, where she won the Department of Materials Prize for Best Project 2020 for her research on machine learning in materials analysis. Despite her background and industrial experience in materials and processes, the research inspired her to pursue a career in innovative digital technologies, this took her to Roke.

In her first year, Colette picked up the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award for her work with the women’s network, ED&I and STEM, and was part of the winning and runner up teams awarded the ‘Project Team of the Year’.

Rotations on the graduate development program have so far included AI innovation, hardware and software development and exposure to the bidding lifecycle. Still investigating which specialism she wants to pursue in the future, she’s continues to upskill with support from the wealth of technical experts at the company.

Inspired by a woman chemical engineer who visited her school when she was young, Colette is driven to provide similar inspiration to young people who might not have exposure to engineering as an accessible career. Through running Girls in Engineering days, hosting work experience and campaigning for Roke’s attendance at nationwide STEM events such as The Big Bang, she hopes to keep spreading the word about the huge variety of rewarding engineering careers available to all.

Engineering Success interviews Tosin Sonubi a Data Engineer.

Oluwatosin (Tosin) Sonubi studied BEng in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering at Warwick University. She found her passion for data during her course and pursed transition into tech, teaching herself programming, but capitalising on her transferable skillset.

She has only been a Data Engineer since 2021 but she has achieved an outstanding amount in that time. She credits her neurodiversity for the unique way in which she navigates the space and the challenges within it. Tosin also has experience as a DEI consultant and science communicator/speaker, she leverages all of these facets of herself in her data career.

Tosin is passionate about ‘paying it forwards’, and therefore engages in various outreach/ volunteering initiatives. She is active within groups supporting underrepresented individuals and the future of tech. With a technical background in data governance and ethics, Tosin advocates for the fair use of data and engineering for good.

Engineering Success interviews Arrmeila Jeyanathan an Industrial Engineering in Rail and Control Systems and Signalling. From being introduced to STEM at school and getting involved in science competitions Arrmeila was inspired to study Integrated Engineering at Cardiff University. Whilst at University she worked at Network Rail as Railway Signalling Engineer and since graduating in 2021 she has been on the Network Rail graduate scheme training in the railway signalling discipline. Since Arrmeila’s placement year up until now she has had some successes and opportunities such as receiving an award for her dissertation as well having the opportunity to present & publish her work at a conference. Through these experiences and being a direct recipient of early engagement, Arrmeila has really developed a passion for railway engineering and promoting to the younger generation where she’s done so being an active STEM ambassador. Arrmeila also volunteers for the IET London Young Professionals network since Oct 2021 as secretary. She has dedicated a lot of her free time towards creating events and opportunities for young people to connect including a new initiative starting this year called Female Leaders to promote women in engineering.

Engineering Success interviews Kemi Akinola a Principal Process Engineer in the Water Industry.

Kemi has BSc and MSc degrees from Imperial College London and over nine years' experience in the UK Water Industry.

Through her career to date, she has contributed, inter alia, to the design; and enhanced operation, of several water and wastewater treatment works, by providing process engineering expertise for major capital projects and day-to-day site operation.​

Kemi is a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and a winner of several awards including the CIWEM ‘Annual Conference Young Ambassador 2016’ award and Northern Power Women 'Future List 2018' award.

​She is passionate about enhancing people's lives and is currently involved in several International Development initiatives, such as RAEng Frontiers for Development. She also enjoys volunteering with charities such as Compassion UK. As a female Engineer, Kemi actively supports and encourages young and upcoming Engineers. She is also a Sustainability Enthusiast and an Inspirational Blogger.

Furthermore, Kemi is the author of the book, Getting Chartered: The First or Next Time, which provides helpful pointers from her chartership journey, for aspiring Chartered Professionals.

​In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies, listening to music, reading and travelling.