Alumna Misha Patel announced one of Women’s Engineering Society’s Top 50 Women in Engineering 2024

Misha Patel has been announced as one of the Women’s Engineering Society 2024 Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) award winners, under the theme ‘Enhanced By Engineering’. The WE50 celebrates women who are trailblazers in the world of engineering, and is announced each year on International Women in Engineering Day (INWED).

Misha recently completed her DPhil at Oxford and is awaiting her Leave to Supplicate. She has now started a new role as Committee Specialist for the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. She says, "I am honoured to be recognised among the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2024. I am inspired by the achievements of my fellow prize winners and their commitment to the field of engineering. To me, engineering is about bringing positive change to society, and I will continue to champion the engineering discipline. I will also continue to support initiatives that strive to make it an inclusive and equitable field, encouraging underrepresented communities to explore paths in engineering."

"To me, engineering is about bringing positive change to society, and I will continue to champion the engineering discipline."

The nominations for the awards were made both by individuals and professional institutes, and all were put forward because they have excelled in their field by developing engineering solutions that improve lives. The awards were judged by a panel of independent industry experts led by head judge, Professor Danielle George, Professor Radio Frequency Engineering and Associate Vice President at the University of Manchester.

Misha’s DPhil research under Professor Tom Adcock and Dr Amanda Smyth focused on the resource assessment of tidal stream energy in the UK. Alongside her research, Misha was an active supporter of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2023 Misha was awarded the MPLS Division Outstanding ED&I Champion (Student), an award made to a postgraduate or undergraduate student who shows outstanding dedication, sustained commitment, and effective leadership or impact in advancing equality, diversity and inclusion.

"I am grateful to those who have not only supported my own journey but have also created a positive impact for countless students and the university as a whole."

She was a co-convenor of the BIPOC STEM Network and former Vice President of the Women in Engineering Network at Oxford. The BIPOC STEM network is the first STEM network within the University of Oxford for postgraduates, research staff, academic staff and administrative/support staff that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) or BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic).

Misha adds, "My journey at Oxford has been shaped by the support and dedication of many individuals. I am grateful to those who have not only supported my own journey but have also created a positive impact for countless students and the university as a whole."

Fellow DPhil student Nadja Yang was selected as one of WES Top 50 Women in Engineering in 2022, when the theme was ‘Inventors and Innovators’.