List of female fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering facts for kids

The page lists female fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), elected by the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK.

The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), founded in 1976, is the youngest of the five national academies in the UK. It represents the nation's best practising engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, who are very often in leading roles in industry, business, and academia. Fellowship of the RAEng is a national honour, bringing prestige to both the individual and any organisation the Fellow is associated with. In recent years between 50 and 60 new fellows have been chosen each year by peer review from nominations made by the current fellowship;. Those proposed for fellowship must come “from among eminent engineers regarded by virtue of their personal achievements in the field of engineering as being of exceptional merit and distinction”.

All 130 of the founding fellows in 1976 were men. Four women were elected in the first 20 years, the first in 1982. In all, 13 female fellows pre-date 2000, with a further 20 elected before 2010 and 65 in the decade before 2020. In 2010 the Council determined a policy that over time 10–20% of newly elected fellows should be women.

The Academy published a diversity and inclusion action plan for the five years from 2020 but does not regularly publish the proportion of female engineers in the current fellowship, estimated in 2019 to be less than 7%. In July 2020 it launched a campaign aimed at delivering a 'Fellowship that is Fit for the Future' by the time it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026 and set an aspiration that at least half of all candidates elected each year will be from under-represented target groups.

As of 2021, 122 women have been elected to Fellowship, plus six international fellows, six honorary fellows, and one royal fellow.

Fellows

List of female fellows

Year of election	Image	Fellow	Field(s) of work; academia/industry	RAEng appointments/awards and notes	Refs.
1982		Killick, ElizabethElizabeth Killick	Electronic engineering, marine technology; industry	Died 2019
1987		Platt, BerylBeryl Platt	Aeronautical engineering; industry	Died 2015
1992		Kaposi , AgnesAgnes Kaposi	Electrical engineering; academia and industry
1995		Foster, PatriciaPatricia Foster	Electrical engineering; industry
1996		Dowling, AnnAnn Dowling	Mechanical engineering, aeroacoustics; academia	First woman President of the RAEng, 2014–2019
		Ion, SueSue Ion	Nuclear engineering; industry	A vice-president of RAEng, 2002–2008; first woman to be awarded RAEng President's medal 2014
		Spooncer, RachelRachel Spooncer	Chemical engineering; industry	First woman to win MacRobert Award, (with ICI, 1993)
1997		Kennedy, JoannaJoanna Kennedy	Civil engineering; industry
		King, JuliaJulia King	Fracture mechanics; academia	Led RAEng working party on ‘Educating Engineers for the 21st Century’ 2007
		Lyons, SusanSusan Lyons	Manufacturing engineering; industry and academia
1999		Barton, YvonneYvonne Barton	Geotechnical engineering; industry and academia
		Higgins, JuliaJulia Higgins	Chemical engineering; academia	A vice-president of RAEng, 2008–2011
		Liversidge, PamelaPamela Liversidge	Mechanical engineering; industry
2000		Hall, WendyWendy Hall	Computer science; academia	First woman to be RAEng Senior Vice-President 2005–2008
2001		Shirley, StephanieStephanie Shirley	Information technology; industry and philanthropy
2002		Bayvel, PolinaPolina Bayvel	Optical networking; industry and academia
		Chessell, AmandaAmanda Chessell	Computer science; industry and academia	First woman to be awarded the RAEng Silver Medal 2001
		Stone, HelenHelen Stone	Civil engineering; industry
2003		Gladden, LynnLynn Gladden	Chemical engineering; academia
		Wainwright, FaithFaith Wainwright	Structural engineering; industry	Editorial Board member of RAEng magazine Ingenia
2004		Petrou, MariaMaria Petrou	Signal processing; academia	Died 2012
2005		Petford-Long, AmandaAmanda Petford-Long	Materials science; academia
2006		Tanner, (Kathleen) Elizabeth(Kathleen) Elizabeth Tanner	Biomedical engineering; academia	Editorial Board member of RAEng magazine Ingenia; RAEng Trustee Board 2017-
		Venables, JeanJean Venables	Civil engineering; industry and academia
2007		Atkinson, HelenHelen Atkinson	Materials engineering; academia	A vice-president of RAEng, 2012–2014; RAEng Trustee Board 2014–2016
		Mitchell, DervillaDervilla Mitchell	Civil engineering; industry	A vice-president of RAEng, 2011–2014
2008		Jo da Silva	Civil engineering; industry and international development
		Noble, AlisonAlison Noble	Biomedical engineering; industry and academia
		Spurgeon, SarahSarah Spurgeon	Control engineering; industry and academia
2009		Springman, SarahSarah Springman	Geotechnical engineering; industry and academia
		Thornhill, NinaNina Thornhill	Chemical engineering; industry and academia
		Wernick, JaneJane Wernick	Structural engineering; industry and academia
		Wilson, SophieSophie Wilson	Computer science; industry and academia
2010		Atkinson, JaneJane Atkinson	Chemical engineering; industry
		Bryant, JayneJayne Bryant	Chemical engineering; industry
		Burke, CarolCarol Burke	Manufacturing engineering; industry
		Goble, CaroleCarole Goble	Computer science; academia
		Hackitt, JudithJudith Hackitt	Chemical engineering; industry
		Neville (engineer), AnneAnne Neville (engineer)	Mechanical engineering; academia	RAEng chair in Emerging technologies, University of Leeds
2011		Clarke, (Sarah Regina) Ginny(Sarah Regina) Ginny Clarke	Civil engineering, highway engineering; industry	Editorial Board member of RAEng magazine Ingenia
		Deeming, LianneLianne Deeming	Materials engineering; industry
		Harkin-Jones, EileenEileen Harkin-Jones	Polymer engineering; academia	Bombardier-RAEng chair in Composites Engineering at Ulster University from 2014
		McDowell, MichelleMichelle McDowell	Civil engineering; industry
		Mundy, JeniJeni Mundy	Electronic engineering; industry
		Saunders, FrancesFrances Saunders	Electronic engineering; industry	RAEng Trustee Board 2015-
		Sellen, AbigailAbigail Sellen	Human-computer interaction; industry
		Smith, LianeLiane Smith	Materials science, corrosion engineering; industry
2012		Best, SerenaSerena Best	Materials science; academia
		Carroll, CynthiaCynthia Carroll	Mining engineering; industry
		Jiang, JaneJane Jiang	Precision engineering; industry and academia	Renishaw-RAEng chair in Precision Metrology at the University of Huddersfield from 2015
		Martin, ElaineElaine Martin	Chemical engineering; academia	Formerly Editorial Board member of RAEng magazine Ingenia; RAEng Trustee Board 2014-
		Plant, JaneJane Plant	Geochemistry; academia	Died 2016
2013		Adisa Azapagic	Chemical engineering, sustainable engineering; academia
		Calder, MuffyMuffy Calder	Computer science; academia
		Climer, NaomiNaomi Climer	Media technology; industry	RAEng Trustee Board 2017-
		Crawford, JaniceJanice Crawford	Chemical engineering; industry
		Griffiths, CarolynCarolyn Griffiths	Mechanical engineering, railway engineering; industry
		Ocone, RaffaellaRaffaella Ocone	Chemical engineering; academia
		Stevens, MollyMolly Stevens	Biomaterials science; academia
2014		Connolly, PatriciaPatricia Connolly	Bioengineering; academia and industry
		Gai, PratibhaPratibha Gai	Electron microscopy, nanotechnology; academia and industry
		Scrivener, KarenKaren Scrivener	Materials science; academia
2015		Claire Adjiman	Chemical engineering; academia
		Holford, KarenKaren Holford	Mechanical engineering, acoustic emission; academia and industry
		Mary Ryan	Electrochemistry; academia	Shell-RAEng chair in Interfacial Nanoscience for Engineering Systems, Imperial College London from 2015
		Sasse, AngelaAngela Sasse	Computer science, information security; academia
2016		Butler, JaneJane Butler	Electronic engineering, computer science; academia and industry
		Hainsworth, SarahSarah Hainsworth	Forensic materials engineering; academia
		Lane, BarbaraBarbara Lane	Fire protection engineering; industry and academia
		Schmolke, CatrionaCatriona Schmolke	Civil engineering; industry
2017		Cordiner, JoanJoan Cordiner	Chemical engineering, agrochemicals; industry
		El Haj, AliciaAlicia El Haj	Biological engineering, regenerative medicine; academia
		Hargrove, CarolineCaroline Hargrove	Mechanical engineering, human–machine interaction; industry and academia
		Hurst, RachelRachel Hurst	Manufacturing engineering; industry
		Martin, UrsulaUrsula Martin	Computer science; academia
		Strank, AngelaAngela Strank	Chemical engineering, petroleum engineering; industry
		Stride, EleanorEleanor Stride	Biomedical engineering; academia and industry
		Trefethen, AnneAnne Trefethen	Computer science; academia
		Williamson, SarahSarah Williamson	Structural engineering; industry
2018		Driscoll, JudithJudith Driscoll	Materials Science; academia
		Gray, SusanSusan Gray	Aviation engineering; Royal Air Force
		Lunn, RebeccaRebecca Lunn	Civil engineering, geotechnical engineering; academia	BAM Nuttall-RAEng chair, University of Strathclyde from 2017
		Mercer, HilaryHilary Mercer	Mechanical engineering, project management; industry
		Thomson, RachelRachel Thomson	Materials engineering; academia
		Williams, RachelRachel Williams	Biomedical engineering; academia
2019		Dehghan, ShirinShirin Dehghan	Electronic engineering; industry
		Eickhoff, BridgetBridget Eickhoff	Railway engineering; industry
		Freitas dos Santos, LuisaLuisa Freitas dos Santos	Chemical engineering; industry
		Gast, AliceAlice Gast	Chemical engineering; academia
		Lingwood, RebeccaRebecca Lingwood	Fluid dynamics; academia
		McClay, CatherineCatherine McClay	Electrical engineering; industry
		O'Neill, MáireMáire O'Neill	Cyber security; academia	RAEng Silver Medal (2014)
		Pantić, MajaMaja Pantić	Artificial intelligence; academia
		Rayment, FionaFiona Rayment	Nuclear power; industry
		Russell, Leigh-AnnLeigh-Ann Russell	Petroleum engineering; industry
		Simeonidou, DimitraDimitra Simeonidou	Telecommunications engineering; academia
		Skinner, RachelRachel Skinner	Transportation engineering; industry
		Tachtsi, LilaLila Tachtsi	Highway engineering; industry
2020		Bregulla, JulieJulie Bregulla	Fire engineering, Structural engineering; industry
		Childs, DawnDawn Childs	Mechanical engineering, Aeronautical engineering; industry
		Gardner, PhilippaPhilippa Gardner	Computer science; academia
		Greaves, DeborahDeborah Greaves	Marine engineering; academia
		Rodriguez-Villegas, EstherEsther Rodriguez-Villegas	Wearable technology; academia and industry	RAEng Silver medal (2020)
		Rogers, LucyLucy Rogers	Mechanical engineering, Fluid dynamics; Science communication	RAEng Visiting professor at Brunel University
		Sun, TongTong Sun	Sensor engineering, Photonics; academia	RAEng Silver medal (2016); RAEng Research professor (2018)
		Vincent, AlisonAlison Vincent	Cyber Security, Software engineering; industry
2021		Alglave, JadeJade Alglave	Computer Science; academia and industry	RAEng Silver medal (2018)
		Allen, RuthRuth Allen	Civil engineering, Infrastructure; industry
		Atkinson, AlisonAlison Atkinson	Nuclear engineering, Project management; industry
		Delahunty, AliceAlice Delahunty	Electrical engineering; industry
		Endersby, PenelopePenelope Endersby	Physics, Artificial intelligence; academia and industry
		Finch, ElspethElspeth Finch	Entrepreneur; industry	RAEng Silver medal (2013)
		Glassey, JarmilaJarmila Glassey	Chemical engineering; academia
		Lettieri, PaolaPaola Lettieri	Chemical engineering, Fluidisation; academia
		Lucas, MargaretMargaret Lucas	Civil engineering, Ultrasonics; academia
		Morgans, AimeeAimee Morgans	Mechanical engineering, Thermofluids; academia	RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellow (2004-09)
		Noakes, CatherineCatherine Noakes	Mechanical engineering, Environmental engineering; academia
		Oliver, RachelRachel Oliver	Materials science; academia
		Tiziana Rossetto	Structural engineering, Earthquake engineering; academia
		Sutcliffe, JuliaJulia Sutcliffe	Computer science, Aeronautical engineering; academia and industry
		Thornley, PatriciaPatricia Thornley	Environmental engineering; academia and industry
		Weston, RebeccaRebecca Weston	Nuclear engineering; industry

International Fellows

International Fellows are engineers of international distinction who are not of British nationality and who are not resident and working in Britain. The number of International Fellows cannot exceed one-tenth of the number of Fellows, and no more than ten may be elected in any year.

List of female International Fellows

Year of election	Image	Fellow	Field(s) of work; Academia/Industry	Notes	Refs.
2004		Grimson, JaneJane Grimson	Computer science; academia
2011		Lauvergeon, AnneAnne Lauvergeon	Chemical engineering; industry
2012		Jackson, Shirley AnnShirley Ann Jackson	Particle physics; academia
		Lawless, AllysonAllyson Lawless	Civil engineering; industry
2013		Burns, UrsulaUrsula Burns	Mechanical engineering; industry
2018		Arnold, FrancesFrances Arnold	Chemical engineering; academia	Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018

Honorary Fellows

Persons not being Fellows who have made or are making a distinguished contribution to the practice of engineering are eligible for election as Honorary Fellows. Their number cannot exceed fifty and no more than five may be elected in any year.

List of female Honorary Fellows

Year of election	Image	Honorary Fellow	Refs.
2008		Glover, AnneAnne Glover
		Lawrence, VanessaVanessa Lawrence
2021		Agrawal, RomaRoma Agrawal
		Akinola, YewandeYewande Akinola
		Imafidon, Anne-MarieAnne-Marie Imafidon
		McGovern, StephSteph McGovern

Royal Fellows

Royal Fellows are such members of the Royal Family as on the invitation of the Board shall agree to become Royal Fellows.

List of female Royal Fellows

Year of invitation	Image	Royal Fellow	Refs.
2010		Princess Royal, Anne,Anne, Princess Royal