Ying, a Manufacturing Engineer for Rolls-Royce plc, completed an MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), part of the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering. During this time, the 28-year-old co-founded a technology start-up that developed rapidly within a year and won the CSSA UK High-Tech Entrepreneurship Bronze Award.
The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards celebrate women working in modern engineering and aim to help change the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men. As well as highlighting female engineering talent, the 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 12% of those working in engineering and technical occupations are women (source: Engineering UK).
A keen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ambassador, Ying aspires to combine her passion in arts and engineering to engage and inspire the next generation of engineers.
“I’m so honoured to receive this award, but this award isn’t just about me, it’s about all the outstanding women changing the world through engineering,” she said. “The IET gives female engineers a voice to be heard and I want to use this platform to raise the profile of women in STEM and capture the imagination of young girls everywhere, showing them that they too can be an engineer.”
“I have a great team and support system behind me, and this is an amazing feeling,” she added.
Jo Foster, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the IET, said: “I’d like to congratulate our fantastic winners and highly commended recipients of this year’s Awards. They are inspirational and a real credit to the engineering profession and will play a huge part in altering the perception of what a career in engineering and technology can look like.”
Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Rt Hon Chris Skidmore, added: “I would like to congratulate all nominees and winners for taking part in this year’s awards. As some of the most promising young women in the UK, you are truly inspirational role models for women across the country. You should all take great pride in everything you have achieved.”
Image: Ying Wan Loh
Credit: The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Reproduced courtesy of University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering