IET announces Honorary Fellows 2022 line-up
Published: Fri 7 Oct 2022
Actor, director and producer Sir Patrick Stewart, whose work has included roles on stage, television and film, in a career spanning seven decades is included in the line-up, as well as Fred Mills, Founder and Managing Director of The B1M – which is the world’s largest and most subscribed-to video channel for architecture and construction with over 2 million YouTube subscribers and 20 million viewers each month.
In receiving his accolade, Sir Patrick said: “I am truly grateful to have been named an Honorary Fellow of the IET. I’ve been very honoured to have had a career in film and TV, which has exposed young people to highly creative ideas, innovative products, and technological advances.
For example, the Star Trek communicator was the forerunner to the mobile phone, the universal translator preceded Google Translate and Lieutenant Uhura was using a handsfree earpiece long before AirPods were invented!
“It’s also fantastic to know that my work has excited young people about the wonderful possibilities offered by a career in science and engineering. Engineers make an outstanding contribution to our world, and they will help shape our future and so I am particularly delighted to receive this Honorary Fellowship from the IET.”
The four Honorary Fellows for 2022 are:
- Ruth Amos in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the public understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
- Yvonne Baker OBE in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the promotion and delivery of STEM education in the UK.
- Fred Mills in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the public understanding of construction and engineering.
- Sir Patrick Stewart OBE in recognition of the inspiration given through the promotion of science and technology to future generations of engineers and technicians.
On awarding the Honorary Fellows, IET President Bob Cryan, said: “I’m delighted that the IET is marking the outstanding achievements of these distinguished individuals with one of our highest honours of Honorary Fellow.
They each have excelled in their own disciplines, made truly great contributions across our engineering profession and inspired others through their expertise, knowledge and service.
They should all be justifiably proud of their accomplishments, with each being extremely well-deserved.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor
Quotes from each Honorary Fellow (in alphabetical order)
Ruth Amos said: “It’s such an honour to receive this award, I was surprised and delighted that the IET saw fit to bestow this Honorary Fellowship to me. I’ve worked with the IET over the last few years, and we share a passion for inspiration and supporting the next generation of engineers. I very nearly missed out on a career that I love because I didn’t realise that people like me could be engineers – since then I’ve made it my mission to use my voice to make sure that others do not miss out because they are not aware that engineering is for them. I am so humbled that the IET recognises this work, and it is a privilege to be associated with it.”
Yvonne Baker OBE said: “I am delighted and honoured to receive this accolade from the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Engineering has opened up for me a range of opportunities and a working life that has been exciting, rewarding and ever-changing. I want that opportunity and choice to be available to everyone, whatever their background. Thank you to the IET for the work it does in this regard, and for this Fellowship which I shall treasure.”
Fred Mills said: “This is a deeply humbling honour. From a young age I have followed my love and passion for this industry, often in the face of adversity as I strived to build something that hadn't been done before. To push through that, and see my content resonate with so many millions of people worldwide has been incredible. It is difficult to find the words that can properly convey what being made an Honorary Fellow of the IET means to me. I am eagerly looking forward to leveraging the position to inspire more people to come and work in the world's greatest industry.”
Sir Patrick said: “I am truly grateful to have been named an Honorary Fellow of the IET. I’ve been very honoured to have had a career in film and TV, which has exposed young people to highly creative ideas, innovative products and technological advances. For example, the Star Trek communicator was the forerunner to the mobile phone, the universal translator preceded Google Translate and Lieutenant Uhura was using a handsfree earpiece long before AirPods were invented! It’s also fantastic to know that my work has excited young people about the wonderful possibilities offered by a career in science and engineering. Engineers make an outstanding contribution to our world, and they will help shape our future and so I am particularly delighted to receive this Honorary Fellowship from the IET.”
Honorary Fellows bios
Ruth Amos
Ruth Amos is a British entrepreneur and inventor of the StairSteady, an aid to enable people with limited mobility to use their stairs confidently and safely. She designed it as part of a GCSE resistant-materials project as a response to her teacher’s challenge to design an aid for people with limited mobility to use their stairs.
She went on to win the 2006 Young Engineer of the Year award with her idea and was also picked as the youngest ever of Britain's "Heroines for Hard Times" 35 women under 35 by Management Today.
Ruth co-founded the YouTube channel Kids Invent Stuff with fellow inventor Shawn Brown, which partners with the IET Education Programmes. In 2017 she launched the #girlswithdrills campaign around inclusive making and supporting disadvantaged makers into making. She supported the IET Equality Diversity and Inclusion campaign, I Am An Engineer, which showed the need for greater quality and diversity across engineering and technology, and highlighted the importance of STEM careers.
Yvonne Baker OBE
Yvonne Baker OBE is a Chartered Chemical Engineer with a background in manufacturing and international consultancy with KPMG Consulting. She joined STEMNET in 2002 to establish the STEM Ambassadors programme and was Chief Executive of STEMNET from 2005 to 2010. Since 2010, she has been the Chief Executive of STEM Learning, which manages a range of programmes supporting STEM education and skills via the National STEM Learning Network.
Yvonne has shown great leadership in advancing the vision of achieving a world-leading STEM education for all young people across the UK. There are more than 37,000 STEM ambassadors volunteering over 180,000 hours. STEM Learning delivers over 34,000 days of CPD to teachers and connects with over 230,000 teachers, reaching every primary, secondary and FE college in the UK.
Yvonne won the First Woman in Science Award in 2015. She was awarded the OBE in the Queen's 2022 New Year Honours List for services to STEM education.
Fred Mills BSc
Fred Mills is the Founder and Managing Director of The B1M, which is the world’s largest and most subscribed-to video channel for architecture and construction with over 2 million YouTube subscribers and 20 million viewers each month. He created The B1M to focus on sharing “the best of construction” – improving the industry while helping to attract more people to come and work in it.
Fred graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc in Architectural Engineering and Design Management, before joining Willmott Dixon in 2008 and working his way up to become a Design Manager. He joined Osborne as a Pre-Construction Manager in 2012 and co-founded The B1M in his spare time. In 2015, he moved to work full-time in The B1M.
Through his achievement at The B1M Fred has inspired millions of people, changed the perception of the construction sector and become a role model to millions of people interested in or already working in construction.
Sir Patrick Stewart OBE
Sir Patrick Stewart OBE is an actor, director and producer whose work has included roles on stage, television and film, in a career spanning seven decades. He has been nominated for Olivier, Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Saturn Awards.
Beginning his career with a long run with the Royal Shakespeare Company, from the 1980s onward, Stewart began working in American television and film, with prominent leading roles such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, in subsequent Star Trek films, and in 2020 Star Trek: Picard. He is also recognised worldwide as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series of superhero films. These portrayals have provided major inspiration to future engineers, scientists and researchers. In 2010, Stewart was knighted for services to drama.
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