MSc PGCE PGDipCIS MIET CEng FWES

Grazyna Whapshott was born and educated in Warsaw (Poland). She completed her higher education in Warsaw University of Science and Technology and achieved a MSc in Microelectronics. After completing her studies for the Teaching Certificate, she started her academic career as a Lecturer at University and continued as a Senior Specialist at the Research and Development Centre for Medical Technology.

After her marriage Grazyna become a British subject and arrived in England in 1980 .

In order to continue her teaching and academic career she completed a PGCE and obtained The Qualified Teacher Status. Grazyna’s first teaching appointment was at the Barnet College of Further and Higher Education in London as a Lecturer in Electronic Engineering. During that appointment, Grazyna studied at the University of Westminster and completed her MSc in Digital Systems and Instrumentation, expanding the range of subjects she could teach .

In 1988 Grazyna was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich and progressed to become a Principal Lecturer in Electronic Engineering.

During her academic career, Grazyna was actively involved in programme development, validations and accreditations by professional organisations. As a Principal Lecturer and a Programme Leader, she provided advice and guidance to new members of staff within her programme team. She acted as mentor to academic staff engaged in their PGCE in teacher training and assisted in identifying the developmental needs of the participant in relation to teaching and learning.

Grazyna was also an external advisor for the review of engineering programmes in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at other Universities, and a member of the WISE board which provided sponsored campaigns to increase the number of women participating in engineering education.

On 1st January 2010 Grazyna retired from The University of Greenwich .

Outside academia, Grazyna has been a member of WES since 1991 and became a Council Member in 1995. During her membership of the WES Council she represented WES on the ICWES Board and has served as WES International Co-ordinator, Vice–President, President (2007) and Honorary Treasurer. Grazyna retired from the WES Council in 2013.

Her long-standing contribution to WES was recognised in October 2013 when she was awarded the Isabel Hardwich Medal and in November 2013, when she was elected a WES Fellow.

Grazyna is a member of the IET and has been a Chartered Electrical Engineer since 1990. She continues her volunteer activities with the IET as Honorary Treasurer of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire of LN of the IET. In October 2015 Grazyna was elected to the IET Council. She is a leading member of the Council Working Party in the Building the Image, Perceived Value and Understanding of Engineering (including Diversity) theme.

Grazyna strongly supports the opinion that engineering is a very interesting and rewarding career for women; a career which also provides international opportunities for professional development and satisfaction.