To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day we're sharing individual stories of women engineers from across UKCRIC member institutions.
Tell us about your role and what you find most exciting about it.
I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in C-DICE (The Centre for Postdoctoral Development in Infrastructure, Cities and Energy) project that is funded by the UKRI Research England Development fund. This is a unique project working ambitiously to support the talent and skill of postdocs who are the future leaders of research and innovation. Linking engineering and social perspectives in this project excites me as there is a range of factors related to postdoctoral career pathways and skills to progress postdocs’ expertise in contributing to net-zero emissions.
What inspired you to become an engineer?
My inspiration is my dad. When I was a child, my dad used to take me to the construction site as a reward. He would show me the construction work and explain the huge building plan blueprints at the construction site, and that always excited me.
In your opinion is there more that can be done to encourage a greater diversity of people into engineering careers?
Providing a homogeneous and transparent career path could encourage youngers for an engineering career.
What advice would you give for anyone interested in pursuing an engineering career?
There are many stereotypical views about women in engineering that can discourage women from pursuing all sorts of interesting careers. I would advise them to ignore this, to not give up, and to pursue their passion.
Dr. Fatma Seyma Keskin is a C-DICE Training Hub Researcher at Cranfield University.