By engaging an international audience with tales of mechanical engineering, an alumna of The University of Queensland has won a global communication title.
Mechanical engineer and 2011 UQ graduate Yassmin Abdel-Magied was named the international winner of the Speaking Out for Engineering competition in Singapore, for her oral presentation on the chassis design for the UQ Racing 2011 racing car.
Competitors must present on a topic that relates to mechanical engineering.
“I presented my final year engineering thesis, which was on the design of the UQR Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Spaceframe chassis, the chassis for the UQ Racing team,” she said.
The UQ Racing team design and builds a racing car each year to race in the FSAE Australasia competition.
“It was an interesting topic to make stimulating for listeners. The audience was a mix of engineers and non-technical professionals so I looked at presenting it in a way that would be beneficial to all.”
Ms Abdel-Magied said the competition provided the perfect platform for herself and other recent graduates to fine-tune their presentation and communication skills.
“The competition is an incredible opportunity for us as engineers to get involved in and practice something that isn’t typically seen as ‘engineering-like’, but is in fact an integral part to being a successful engineer, manager and communicator,” Ms Abdel-Magied said.
She won her spot at the regional competition hosted by the Australian branch of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The duration of the presentation was limited to 20 minutes, and was followed by 10 minutes discussion and questions from a panel of judges.
The competition was originally established in 1964 to challenge young engineers to improve their communication skills.
UQ Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Executive Dean, Professor Graham Schaffer said communication was an integral part of an engineer’s role.
“Communicating effectively with your colleagues and clients is essential for engineers when working on any project,” Professor Schaffer said.
“Congratulations to Yassmin on winning this international award, and being recognised for her outstanding ability to communicate both effectively and concisely on topics of relevance to the mechanical engineering profession.”
Media: Madelene Flanagan (m.flanagan@uq.edu.au or 07 3365 8525)
