Ireland’s vibrant engineering sector is driven by world-class talent, writes David O’Riordan. In advance of International Women in Engineering Day, taking place on Wednesday, June 23, the Engineers Journal celebrates the impact of female engineering trailblazers in industry.
Ireland’s female engineering talent has left a firm and long-lasting imprint on Ireland’s engineering and technology sector, delivering on ambitions through innovation, creativity and a dedication to a better society for future generations.
Impact of our women engineer leaders noticeable on world stage
Although female engineers may be a minority in the profession, the impact of our women engineer leaders is noticeable on the world stage, with many prominent positions held by our home-grown talent.
These engineering trailblazers are not celebrities adorning the front cover of glossy magazines, nor are they shining stars from a previous century. These talented engineering leaders in academia and industry are making a positive impact on our lives and that of wider society today, and their work will continue to create a lasting impact on society for generations to come.
Dr Ann Kelleher, senior vice-president and general manager at Intel
Cork native Dr Ann Kelleher, for example, is the first Irish woman to be named a vice-president at Intel. Dr Kelleher is now a senior vice-president and general manager at the organisation, where she is leading the development of Intel’s 7nm CPU project at a time of global shortage internationally.
Armagh native and aerospace engineer Sinéad O’Sullivan is also making waves internationally on the global artificial intelligence stage.
Aerospace engineer Sinéad O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan is currently based at MIT where she examines the interaction of artificial intelligence on global democracies with a goal of promoting democracy, de-escalation and diversity as part of the AI Policy for the World project. This follows her previous role at NASA, where she helped to develop the technology to take spacecraft and humans to Mars.
Linda Doyle, an advocate for the arts and women in STEM and the first woman to be elected provost in Trinity College Dublin’s 429-year history, has also created lasting impact through her contributions to research, outreach and engineering education.
Linda Doyle, provost-elect, Trinity College Dublin
In addition to these prominent engineering leaders in academia and industry, we must also pay tribute to Engineers Ireland’s presidents and their impact on our institution.
From Professor Jane Grimson, the first female to hold the role of president, to past presidents Anne Butler, Regina Moran and Marguerite Sayers and recently inaugurated Professor Orla Feely, these leaders have shattered glass ceilings in their professional careers and created endless opportunities for future generations of female talent to follow their lead into this diverse and limitless profession through their consistent and prominent involvement in initiatives such as our STEPS programme.
L-R: Past presidents Prof Jane Grimson, Prof Orla Feely (current president); Marguerite Sayers, and Regina Moran
The visibility of these female engineering trailblazers as role models is crucial in this sector when female engineers represent just 12% of the profession. By holding these prominent leadership roles, they too encourage other women to make education and career choices which will also lead them into this diverse and creative industry.
With inclusion and diversity fundamental cornerstones to a culture of innovation, with greater representation of engineering talent in these prominent engineering roles, school children and early career professionals will have ample role models to guide their career paths.
I look forward to continuing to support and report on Ireland’s innovate engineering trailblazers within the Engineers Journal by shining a light on Ireland’s world-class talent. By showcasing the diversity of the profession through technical articles and interviews, the publication will continue to play a prominent role in supporting members of the profession and celebrating their achievements.
'Rethinking Work Culture'
To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group will host a lunchtime panel discussion on 'Rethinking Work Culture'.
Panellists Margarete McGrath, global strategic propositions lead at Dell Technologies, and Fergus Sharkey, senior manager at Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, will discuss how organisations are altering work practices in the post-COVID-19 era and lessons learned since March 2020. More information and registration details can be found here: https://www.engineersireland.ie/Events/event/7636
More than 100 primary school students from classrooms across Ireland will also join five online workshops to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. Hosted by Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme team, students from Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Tipperary and Kildare will tune in to live interactive workshops such as Engineering with Paper, Creative Coding, and Engineers to the Rescue to learn about the exciting world of engineering.
STEPS ambassador Fionnghuala O'Reilly will also host an intimate Q&A session with 15 exceptional Girl Guides and Brownies who took part in the STEPS Irish Girl Guide Engineering E-Badge challenge series. A Hall of Fame has been created to showcase the innovation project ideas developed by these future engineers. Check out the Hall of Fame today.