In a week where Secretary of State Nicky Morgan launched a campaign to get more young people to study maths and physics, Charlotte Kerr, the only girl in her physics class in the Highlands of Scotland, won the WISE Girl Award, sponsored by Intel. Her ‘spaghetti and marshmallow workshops’ inspire other students with the wonders of engineering. “You do not have to be a rocket scientist to succeed in science” says Charlotte, who is determined to make science accessible to all.
Anna Shaw, of GlaxoSmithKline, winner of the WISE Apprentice Award, sponsored by the Institute of Civil Engineers, uses her experience as a female working in an industrial science laboratory environment to inspire other girls. Her commitment and enthusiasm have directly contributed to a 25% increase in female applications for apprenticeships at her site in Ulverston.
New for 2014, the WISE Hero Award, sponsored by Babcock, was won by Professor Tara Moore of Ulster University, an international expert in forensic science and microbiology. Her research has made a significant contribution towards finding a cure for blinding eye diseases. Tara wants to introduce a bit of glamour, fun and a genuine love of life and work to change people’s perceptions of female scientists.
Christine Flounders, Regional Manager for London R&D at Bloomberg, the headline sponsor, commented: "Innovation comes from doing and seeing things differently. Bloomberg is committed to promoting and fostering gender diversity in technical fields and we are proud to support WISE in recognising the inspirational women championing this important cause."
Trudy Norris-Grey, Chair of the WISE Campaign, said: “Most girls never think about being an engineer or a computer scientist because they have never met a woman who is one. The WISE Awards change how people think about science and engineering - by showcasing examples of girls and women who love what they do to inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.”
Organisations were also recognised for leading the way. Shell UK, winners of the WISE Employer Award, sponsored by Atkins, has increased the proportion of women in scientific roles to 18% and the percentage in senior executive roles to 15%.
The other winners are:
- Sue Cooper won the WISE Champion Award, sponsored by Research Councils UK, for leading policies and practices which have supported the recruitment and retention of female engineers in Atkins, where she was HR Director for UK and Europe.
- Tony Thompson, Construction Skills Manager for the Incommunities Group, won the WISE Advisor Award, sponsored by the Royal Academy of Engineering, for his support to female apprentices in construction.
- Dr Sarah Bohndiek from the Cancer Research UK Institute at the University of Cambridge, winner of the WISE Research Award, sponsored by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, has used physics and engineering to develop a tool for early cancer detection.
- The Daphne Jackson Trust won the WISE Leadership Award, sponsored by AWE, for helping over 250 women return to science after a career break.
- Professor Dame Kay Davies of the University of Oxford, won the WISE Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Halliburton, for her research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy and championing of women in science.
Highly commended were Professor Jean Manson, Head of Neurobiology at the Roslin Institute, Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, the first Director for Women in Engineering at the University of Sheffield and Prospect, a trade union representing engineers, scientists and managers.
About WISE
WISE is a classroom to boardroom campaign to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We inspire girls to study and build careers in science, technology and engineering. We work with employers to ensure women do their best work and thrive. A new WISE report, Not for people like me?, launched at a lunch prior to the Awards ceremony, recommends a new approach to attract girls and other under-represented groups. www.wisecampaign.org.uk
When WISE was founded in 1984, women made up only 1% of the engineering workforce and 7% of engineering graduates. Although the number of women working as professional engineers has doubled in the past two years – from 13,000 to 26,000 they make up only 6% of the total and 14% of engineering and technology graduates.
About Bloomberg
Bloomberg, headline sponsors of the 2014 WISE Awards, is the global business and financial information and news leader, giving influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company’s strength – delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately – is at the core of the Bloomberg Professional service, which provides real time financial information to more than 320,000 subscribers globally. Headquartered in New York, Bloomberg employs more than 15,500 people in 192 locations around the world and is committed to partnering with business leaders, NGOs and civil society to meet today's global challenges. Whether through fundraising, volunteering or providing technical solutions, Bloomberg’s philanthropic efforts have embraced technological innovation to improve the communities in which we live and work.
For more information, visit www.bloomberg.com/now/
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For further information please contact
Sarah Shaw, WISE Communications Director
07545 208 530 or s[email protected]
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