Meet this year’s Young Women Engineer of the Year Awards winners

IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year

Dr Ciara McGrath is an Aerospace Systems Lecturer at the University of Manchester.

Ciara carries out engineering research projects in the areas of astrodynamics and space mission design, working with industry and policymakers to design space systems that can help support life on Earth.

She also teaches University courses and supervises student projects in space system design, to support the education and development of the next generation of engineers.

Ciara’s public engagement aims to make complex ideas accessible to everyone, through hands-on examples, podcasts, radio interviews, written articles and public talks.

IET Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices

Dilani Selvanathan is a Junior Software Engineer at Herotech8. Dilani works alongside the technical delivery team to support growing technical requirements and helps build the products and services.

Dilani recently completed a Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship with the BBC, where she worked on a variety of projects and learnt about the different aspects of Software Engineering.

Dilani is a STEM Ambassador and took part in the STEMazing programme, giving online interactive sessions at primary schools.

She is also a WISE role model, promoting young women in STEM.

Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize

Eftychia Koursari is a Senior Civil Engineer at Amey Consulting. Effie specialises in scour, the main impact of climate change on infrastructure, whilst also undertaking part-time PhD Research on scour at the University of Glasgow.

Effie is developing innovative scour monitoring and prediction tools and methods, protecting infrastructure, whilst also aiding in the response to the Climate Emergency.

Effie is an active STEM Ambassador and has been named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering for 2020 and was also awarded the Women Leaders Association Rising Star in STEM.

Finalists Anna Will, Lauryn Jayes and Nipuni Karunaratne were all highly commended.

All winners and finalists will play an ambassadorial role for the engineering and technology professions in the forthcoming months, promoting engineering careers to girls and young people.

These prestigious engineering industry awards celebrate women working in modern engineering – and aim to help change the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls.

As well as highlighting female engineering talent, the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards seek to find role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women.

Just 14.5% of those working in engineering and technical occupations are women (source: Engineering UK).

This year’s YWE Awards were sponsored by BAE Systems, Boeing, BP, Collins Aerospace, Capgemini, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, GCHQ, Leonardo, MBDA, Northrop Grumman, Nucleargraduates, Ofcom, RAF, Rolls-Royce, Royal Mail, RS Components Grass Roots, Teledyne, and Thales.

To find out more information, please visit www.theiet.org/ywe