New Steering Committee for Women in Engineering Network

The Department’s Equality and Diversity Committee has announced the appointment of a new Steering Committee for the Women in Engineering Network (WiE), which was established in 2012 with the aim of organising talks, social events, career development events and other networking activities for all members of the Department. Since 2012, the Network has evolved into a dynamic, supportive community of women engineers across many disciplines and career stages. 

DPhil candidate Maitha Al Shimmari (Oxford e-Research Centre) has been appointed as President of the Committee and fellow DPhil Misha Patel as Vice-president. The Committee has representatives from the academic faculty, research associates and the undergraduate and postgraduate student body.

Explaining her new role, Maitha Al Shimmari says; “The President has responsibility for overall leadership of the group. They also serve as a member of the Departmental Equality and Diversity committee (which meets twice per term). The President is expected to keep the Equality and Diversity committee informed of WiE activities and is strongly encouraged to bring to the attention of the Equality and Diversity committee any issues or opportunities that the WiE Steering Committee identifies”.

The WiE will continue to promote interaction amongst women at all levels, from undergraduate to permanent staff, by organising activities and events related to the Department’s goals in education and research. The WiE will also promote general awareness about the accomplishments of women in the field and the issues they face as they progress in their careers. Men will be welcome to participate in WiE events and to join the WiE in support of these goals.

Senior Faculty Advisor Professor Susanna-Assunta Sansone says, "Throughout my career I have met great professional women who have also helped me, and via this role I would like to give back to others". Professor Sansone's role is to support the WiE network by championing its goals and activities within the Department and the university.

The WiE Committee

• President: Maitha Al Shimmari, DPhil candidate in the Oxford e-Research Centre – Somerville College
• Vice-president: Misha Patel, DPhil candidate - Linacre College
• Treasurer: Suchandrima Das, Departmental Lecturer and Career Development Fellow - Jesus College
• Senior Faculty Advisor: Susanna-Assunta Sansone, Associate Professor in the Oxford e-Research Centre
• Communications Officer: Chiara Falsetti, Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Oxford Thermofluids Institute
• Post-graduate Representative: Lucy Cross, DPhil candidate in the Oxford Thermofluids Institute - Lincoln College
• Undergraduate Representative: Amelia Standing, 3rd year undergraduate - St. Anne’s College
• Members-at Large: Harrison Steel, Associate Professor of Engineering Science, Tutorial Fellow at Harris Manchester College. Amanda Smyth, Mary R Emerson Career Development Fellow and Departmental Lecturer, Department of Engineering Science - St Hugh’s College Bridget Donaldson, MSc student - Hertford College Zhaoqiu Cheng (Sabrina), 1st year undergraduate - St Edmund Hall Farheen Muhammed, 1st year undergraduate - Jesus College Jingwei Zhang, 1st year undergraduate - St. Anne’s College.

Podcast video introducing the Women in Engineering (WiE) Network

To mark International Women's day 2021 (8th March), the Oxford e-Research Centre have released a podcast introducing the Women in Engineering (WiE) Network. Part one of the podcast is now available.