By actively engaging with female students who have demonstrated a superior academic record in aerospace, we can empower more women to pursue careers that have historically been male dominated.

Professor Rob Miller

The gathering in Oxford was part of the Women in Aerospace annual dinner organised by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics (Turbo CDT). The event allowed current undergraduate students from Cambridge, Oxford, Loughborough, Bath and Imperial to talk to fellow female engineers, including Baroness Brown, about the opportunities in and the challenges facing the aerospace industry in the areas of turbomachinery, power generation, aviation, renewable energy, and policy. Baroness Brown’s career spans senior engineering and leadership roles in both industry and academia. Her interests include climate change adaptation and mitigation and the low carbon economy.

Also in attendance at the dinner were academics from Cambridge, Oxford and Loughborough. The dinner was preceded by talks at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute on a range of career and research paths. Tours of the facilities were also given by current students.

It is the second such event organised by the Turbo CDT – a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Loughborough University in association with Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Siemens and Dyson, funded by the EPSRC. The Turbo CDT exists to train the next generation of research and industry leaders.  

Professor Rob Miller, Chair in Aerothermal Technology and Whittle Lab Director, said: “The Turbo CDT is taking a leading role in promoting women in leadership roles in aero-related sciences. By actively engaging with female students who have demonstrated a superior academic record in aerospace, we can empower more women to pursue careers that have historically been male dominated.”