The WES University Groups Board (UGB) is made up of representatives of WES Affiliated University Student Groups from across the country. Chaired by Tymèle Deydier, the group meets quarterly to share best practice, aide networking and provide valuable feedback to WES on issues relevant to women engineering students. The board sits for a minimum of 1 year with the formal change over at the start of the academic year.
Board Members
- Tymèle Deydier, Loughborough University (Chair)
- Sarah Seeruthun, Swansea University (Vice Chair)
- Vicky Regan, University of Bath (Secretary)
- Hannah Bernard-Bell, University of Nottingham
- Helena Dodd, Imperial College London
- Benien Issa, University of Surrey
- Tosin Sonubi, University of Warwick
- Ellis Laird, University of Glasgow
- Jodie Lee, Open University
- Juliette Goddard, Heriot Watt University
- Erin Carr, Queen's University Belfast
- Nirvana Lal, University of Southampton
Contacting the Board
- To consult, offer opportunities, collaborate with the board or all other enquiries please email the Chair at ugb@wes.org.uk.
- If you are interested in joining the group email Jennifer Glover Student Liaison Officer at students@wes.org.uk.
Meet the Board
I am a dedicated and cheerful PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University. My passion about using technology to have a positive impact on people’s life as well as the environment is what drew me into Engineering in the first place.
The aim of my project is to produce biodegradable polymer microparticles containing a drug that will be used to coat new drug-eluting balloons to improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease and provide an alternative to currently used stents. I am working in collaboration with a US-based company called MedAlliance, developing the most efficient way to produce the particles at high throughput while respecting certain criteria.
By joining WES and being a STEM ambassador, I hope to encourage more young girls to become engineers because engineering is intellectually stimulating and so diverse that I strongly believe anyone can find a subject that truly interest them.
I am the Vice President of Swansea’s WES where I am in my third year of an Aerospace Engineering Degree looking to research the future of space exploration. I have formally been a NASA Ambassador under the Space Education Adventures Scheme. I have also studied and received an accreditation from MIT in : ’Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Space flight’.
Having had the opportunity to work on with several projects with companies such as Surrey Satellites, British Airways, Airbus, TFL, BP, Hitachi Rail and the Armed forces I believe that gaining experience in the Engineering field is very beneficial. As part of the UGB I aim to work with the other members and employers to provide more students with links to companies and the tools to gain further experience.
I am excited by the prospect of being able to encourage more females to enter the engineering sector through the work I hope to carry out as a WES member.
I am a Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath, who has just finished the second year of the MEng programme. I have been involved with WES since high school and hence joined WESBath at University. I have participated in numerous volunteering opportunities at local schools, organised networking events and liaised with different educational institutions. Recently, I have been appointed the co-chair of WESBath for the upcoming year the aspiration of increasing awareness and encouraging wider involvement within, and outwith, the University community. In addition, I have been elected for the Chemical Engineering Student Association as the Welfare and Inclusivity Officer, in addition to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity team. She is now the Undergraduate representative responsible for ensuring that the Action Plan for the Athena Swan is completed and is the undergraduate voice on the committee.
My passions include biotechnology, renewable energy, and sustainability, with aspirations for the development and innovation of solutions to global humanitarian crises. Recently, I have also developed a very keen interest in the technology sector and am actively pursuing various professional development avenues outside of my course obligations, including the acquisition of various coding languages through hackathons and online courses. In addition to this, I have decided to develop the business skills which will be essential in the future, and as such I will commence an internship with a Startup company in Bali over the summer. This will be funded by the Engineering Leaders Scholarship, which was awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, earlier this year.
My name is Hannah Bernard-Bell and I am a Design and Manufacture Engineering student in my 4th year at the University of Nottingham. Last year I helped found the Women’s Engineering Society at our University, recognising the importance for having a group like this. I acted as Vice President for the societies first year, and have now become President for this upcoming academic year. As this is my final year at University, I am excited to have this opportunity to make a difference.
I am a 1st year PhD student on the CDT in Chemical Biology at Imperial College London, after joining the university in October 2018. As well as this, I am the president of the WOMENinSTEM@IC society, which is Imperial’s WES-affiliated group.
My research is at the interface between engineering and science and involves engineering the surface of graphene oxide nanosheets to enable these to stimulate NK cells for a cancer immune response and then testing these in immunobiological cell models.
Before joining Imperial I completed an MSci in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, where I lead the Women in Science and Engineering society for three years. During my time at Birmingham I spearheaded a number of public engagement and outreach initiatives, including founding a number of women in STEM conferences for up to 200+ students, as well as various outreach projects with local schoolchildren.
One particular outreach scheme I founded involved setting up weekly science clubs and mentoring programmes in local girls’ schools in disadvantaged areas of Birmingham.
My outreach work was recognised with numerous awards from my university, as well as being shortlisted for a national STEM inspiration award and being invited to present my work at the House of Lords.
As well as this, I have been involved with a number of national initiatives such as the Big Bang Fair for up to eight years and am a current competition judge.
I am delighted to be joining the WES UGB and excited to support the Board’s work for the upcoming year.
I completed my first year in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey. I chose Mechanical Engineering as I love to solve problems using mathematics and sound science. I recently was appointed as the treasurer for The Women in Engineering society at my university as I want to ensure everyone has great opportunities.
My passion for engineering began at The Air Cadets Corps. As a corporal, the first time I flew a Tutor aircraft, I performed acrobatic manoeuvres. The feeling of controlling a plane and being told by your instructor that 'you have control' is one of apprehension, followed by bliss. I applied and was selected for one of only 10 places nationally to attend a 10-day NASA trip, where I worked around the restricted facilities at the Kennedy Space Centre. Throughout this trip, it was apparent that I was drawn towards to solving engineering dilemmas.
I have also participated in the Engineering Education Scheme in partnership with Laing O'Rourke as nominated team leader for the CrossRail project. Our product was a revolutionary cost-effective piezoelectric kinetic pad. Being on the UGB board will be a great opportunity to meet and network with more female engineers and to encourage further students into studying this diverse field. Although, science is a huge part of my life, in my free time, I love to watch Marvel movies and decipher the meanings behind different scenes.
Tosin is a second year Manufacturing and Mechanical Student, at the University of Warwick. Tosini also a IET Scholar and Warwick Women in Engineering Scholar, within her first term at university.
Outside of university Tosin has always been interested in STEM, as she is very curious about the science behind everyday life. She has been a member of WES since 2016 when she attended work experience and she was the only women in the workshop within the firm. Tosin also writes a blog which she regularly updates with lifestyle and engineering related posts. Though Tosin is young, Tosin would like to pay forwards all the opportunities she has been given, by creating space for incomes in the industry.
Ellis is a third-year student at the University of Glasgow, studying Mechanical Design Engineering. This year, she joined the FemEng society - Glasgow University Female Engineers - as a WES representative and general board member. FemEng links female engineers at the university and has several focuses such as outreach work with local schools, networking events with industry professionals, social activities and international collaborations.
In the summer of 2019 Ellis took part in ‘FemEng in Rwanda’ which is a student-led learning project by the University of Glasgow Female Engineers in collaboration with the University of Rwanda. She was in a team of six Glasgow engineers who travelled to Rwanda for three weeks to work with six young women studying STEM subjects at the University of Rwanda, and six high school graduates who wish to study STEM subjects at university. The main aim of the project is to provide outreach workshops, exhibitions and talk to young people in various schools across Rwanda, giving them the opportunity to see what a career in a STEM subject might entail and encourage more young people into further education.
My name is Jodi Lee and I am an Open University student studying Bachelor of Engineering. I began my engineering studies path in October 2018 after graduating my Masters degree in Fine Art, and deciding I would like to change career path, and potentially study design engineering, to be able to embrace both engineering and creativity.
I am currently chair the WESOUSS for the open University and enjoy working with like minded women to inspire and collaborate, aiding more women in thier engineering journey's. I am very excited to be a part of the WES University Groups Board and look forward to the opportunity which it offers.
My name is Juliette Goddard and I am currently studying for my masters in mechanical engineering, in my penultimate year of my degree. This year I joined the newly-founded Watt Women society at Heriot Watt university as Vice-president and in less than a year our society has organised an industry site visit, outreach events to the local primary schools and a panel event for international women's day! We hope to continue to grow our society in the coming years as we have seen a need to create a community of female undergraduate students as we are disproportionately represented in our male-dominated courses at university.
Getting the chance to sit on the WES University Group Board is a great oppurtunity to link with other WES societies and motivated female students. I aim to feedback everything to the society so that we can continue to support, encourage and advocate for all the female STEM students at Heriot-Watt.
Moving from Australia by myself 15, the island of Ireland has since become my home. Completing my studies with the challenge of adjusting another country’s, customs, culture, and not to mention the weather! Prior to beginning my degree I worked for PUNCH Consulting Engineers in Dublin, an opportunity that allowed me to experience engineering in the real world.
In 2019 PUNCH sponsored me study Structural Engineering and Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast. Elected as the president of the Queen’s International Engineering Society, I strive to create a community for the international and minorities of our engineering cohort, and are the only WES affiliated society in Northern Ireland. As a society we aim to improve the placement and graduate employment opportunities of international students by attending local PEI events to show employers we’re committed, engaged and valuable employees. At only three months into my degree I received the Queen’s Equality and Diversity Champion for Education for my commitment to improving the level of women in STEM degrees.
Professionally, in June 2019 I re-established the Northern Irish Cluster of WES, and became the youngest member of the Australian Embassy in Ireland’s Women in Leadership Group
My during my time in the UGB I hope to expand our reach to Northern Ireland to further our support in the region.
I am a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Trinidad and Tobago at the University of Southampton where I am the Vice President and founding member of the Southampton University Women in Engineering Society (SUWES).
My passion for engineering lies in the aerospace industry. This is portrayed by my final year project which is based on developing new solid lubricant coatings for space applications. This project enhances my experimental and research abilities and gives me the opportunity to be a part of this newly emerging field.
The aim of SUWES is to create a community within our university which gives support, inspiration and motivation to students in their career paths, a sense of belonging and an opportunity to give back to the community.
I am a Mechanical Engineering student at Coventry University. At the start of this academic year I became the President and Co-founder of Coventry’s first Women in Engineering society, with the aim to connect like-minded and motivated Engineering students, and I am so pleased that it has been a success! I have been lucky enough to have male colleagues that actively support and encourage me and the society, I think this is important and shouldn’t be dismissed.
I am really looking forward to be given the opportunity to represent Coventry on the WES university groups board. WES provides great opportunities to network with professional engineers and other female engineering students. After attending the annual student conference I knew that I would love to be part of more activities run by WES. I acknowledge the importance of WES in a largely male dominated industry. As well as this I think it’s crucial to encourage and inspire young girls into STEM and to show them that there are similar faces to them in such fields.