Female engineering students benefit from partnership

The University of Queensland (UQ) is continuing to strengthen its position as the university of choice for women studying engineering.

Cementing UQ as its pipeline for future employees, Parsons Brinckerhoff have partnered with the University to help increase the percentage of women studying an engineering program.

Executive Dean of The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT), Professor Graham Schaffer said The Parsons Brinckerhoff Scholarship for Women in Engineering would be awarded to a female student commencing study in 2013.

“As a University, we recognise the importance of increasing the number of female students enrolling in our undergraduate engineering programs,” Professor Schaffer said.

“Establishing this partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff reaffirms UQ as the university of choice for women in engineering.”

Established to encourage and support female students who have been educationally disadvantaged due to financial circumstances or geographical location, the scholarship will provide $5,000 for the student’s first year of study.

General Manager for Transport Services and Chair of the Diversity Council at Parsons Brinckerhoff, Charlie Jewkes said in recent years, the Council’s initiatives had made a positive impact on the participation of women in all areas of our workplace.

“In the Australia-Pacific region, we have achieved an increase in our targeted intake of female graduates – from 27 percent in 2010 to 40 percent in 2013," Mr Jewkes said.

“We are delighted to partner with UQ’s Women in Engineering programme, with the objective of encouraging more young women to choose engineering upon leaving school."

Although engineering is often perceived as a male dominated domain, recent UQ graduate and Parsons Brinckerhoff mechanical engineer, Monica Dryden, believes that engineering is a rewarding career regardless of one’s gender.

“I have always felt a sense of achievement when I see my work come to life, and this has been particularly so in Design and Consulting Engineering,” Ms Dryden said.

“Initially I studied Engineering because I enjoyed mathematics.

“However, during the course of my studies and now in practice, I have enjoyed the multifarious learning and development that Engineering provides.

“Personally, it's always been about experience-based learning, which for me is a key element to developing as a professional Engineer.

“I was first exposed to this type of learning in my studies and now it is a part of my daily program as an Engineer.”

Media: Madelene Flanagan (m.flanagan@uq.edu.au or + 61 7 3365 8525)