Girls into Physics
3-Day Residential | Year 10 Girls

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How do we detect particles? What are cosmic rays? What happens in temperatures that approach the absolute zero? From particle physics and accelerators to condensed matter and astronomy, in this course you’ll explore the world around us in an interactive, engaging and creative way.

• Get inspired by world-class research taking place in Royal Holloway.
• Investigate some of the techniques used to discover new particles like the Higgs Boson.
• Take part in presentations about quantum phenomena in extremely low temperatures .
• Discover how researchers are trying to find out what dark matter is made of.
• Work in small teams to create your own physics video.
• Get hands-on with experiments and demos.
• Combine science and art and develop your own projects.
• Ask all the questions you ever had about physics to the team of friendly academics.
• Find out more about careers in physics.
• Discuss what it is like to study physics with university student ambassadors.

Girls into electronics | 3-Day Residential | Years 11 and 12 Girls

We live in a world where technology is having more of an impact on our lives than ever before. Smartphones, electric vehicles, robots, virtual reality systems, high-speed wireless communications – these are just a few examples of recent innovations that are changing our lives. And they have one important thing in common: they depend on electronics. Electronic engineers work creatively to conceive concepts, work those concepts into practical solutions, develop processors, design the circuits and write the embedded software code that makes the technology work. They create practical solutions to tackle global problems. You could be part of this amazing future.

• Get hands-on in a team to “design and build electronics” in a laboratory.
• Listen to and interact with lecturers and learn about current and future areas of novel research in electronic engineering.
• Meet graduate engineers from world-leading electronic engineering companies and hear about their exciting jobs.
• Find out what electronic engineering is all about – ask questions and engage in discussions.
• Develop professional skills during practical sessions including team-working and communication.
• Find out how a university degree can lead to a fulfilling, rewarding and well-paid job.
• Experience life as a student on this leafy campus and attend evening social activities.
• Meet current students who can also tell you what it’s like.
• Enhance your CV and make your UCAS application stand out.
• And last, but not least, learn how you can transform the world!

Girls into Engineering
4-day residential | Years 8 and 9 Girls

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Unlock your potential as a brilliant engineer with the help of experts from organisations like Airbus, National Composites Centre and National Nuclear Laboratory. Put your technical and team skills to the test to solve problems and deliver creative solutions on time and on budget. It might be the first step on a career path that can really take you places.

• Analyse high-tech products, the roles they play, and what makes them work.
• Design and build your own working project using a range of materials and control systems.
• Tackle budgets and see how your decisions affect finances.
• Analyse your data and find ways to improve your project.
• See how the high-tech things you learn about are used in the real world.
• Listen to engineers from companies talk about the world of engineering.
• Explore a range of career paths that could take you far and wide around the world.
• Work alongside experts who know their stuff and can answer all your questions.
• Have fun working as a team, sharpening your communication, time management, planning, and presentation skills.

Booking for this WISE event has now closed.

With a steadily increasing population, the world will always need power and as a result, the Power & Energy sectors offer women the chance for a lengthy and stable STEM career.

Energy could also be considered as the backbone of the Technology industry; technology only works with power, whether that’s from a typical transformer or stored battery power. With the rise of electric cars there is even more opportunity for dynamic thinkers to find new ways to store larger amounts of electricity. Innovation is one of the main challenges in this industry and increasing the number of women in technical roles and with a STEM background could be the key to new, different and innovative ways of thinking.

We will hear from inspirational women from a variety of companies who have forged a career for themselves in the power sector. They will talk about their career choices and experiences in the field, offer some guidance to those interested in a career in the power sector, looking for a new career, or advice on how to progress their own careers. An open panel discussion will follow, offering all attendees the opportunities to ask questions and talk openly about the advantages, challenges and rewards of being involved in a fast moving, competitive field. The programme will conclude with an open networking session.

Speakers

Dr Colette Grundy, Senior Advisor for Advanced Nuclear Technology, Environment Agency
Colette has 20 years’ experience of working in the nuclear industry with BNFL, Nuclear Regulation Group of the Environment Agency, and with the National Nuclear Laboratory as a Laboratory Fellow in Nuclear Regulation where she led the Safety, Security and Safeguards Team.

Colette’s work since 2017 in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Advanced Nuclear Technology, ANT team has contributed to the development of an enabling policy framework to support SMRs and AMRs. In her new role as senior advisor for the Environment Agency, Colette will oversee the next generation of nuclear reactors for the UK.

A mentor for younger people working in the nuclear industry, Colette believes that emotional intelligence, kindness and empathy are skills that should be better recognised and is a strong supporter of continuous professional development.

Meriel Griffiths, Capacity Market Manager, RWE Supply & Trading GmbH (RWEST)
Meriel Griffiths is a manager at RWE with over 20 years’ experience in the energy industry. She has worked for Montagu-Smith & Co Ltd Gas Consultancy, then National Power, then International Power, RWE Npower and currently RWEST CAO). This includes 11 years as an International Fuel Manager (gas supply for new build CCGT projects and M&A acquisitions in countries such as Italy, Spain, Russia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Thailand, etc); Commercial Innovation Business Development Manager (installing temporary gensets on existing sites, trying to develop commercial scale Solar PV projects, trying to develop commercial scale greenhouse project using heat from flue gas from Tilbury 2 biomass project, etc); Capacity Market Manager (RWE enters 8 GW of UK assets into the UK Capacity Market each year) and most recently, setting up and running Edgware Energy Limited, as a licensed UK electricity supply subsidiary of RWEST, and looking after RWEG’s portfolio of Zephyr wind farm power purchase agreements).

Meriel also takes part in local secondary schools careers fairs to talk about careers in the electricity industry.

Amanda French
Amanda, a mechanical engineer, has worked in the nuclear sector for almost 25 years and is both a Fellow of the IMechE and a Member of the Association for Project Management (APM).  She started her engineering career on the Magnox sites before leading inspection and repair projects for continued generation and lifetime extensions across the fleet.

Amanda left Wylfa power station to join the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in 2005, initially as part of the oversight team responsible for a number of sites, before becoming Head of Portfolio Assurance, where she led work across the whole estate.  During this period Amanda also acted as Vice-Chair for the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Decommissioning Cost Estimation Group.

After leading changes in project and programme delivery for NDA transport subsidiary INS, Amanda returned to the NDA, focusing on business case production for the Magnox Transition programme, and other government approval requirements.

In the last 12 months, Amanda has been acting Head of the NDA’s Waste Management Programme, overseeing the performance of Radioactive Waste Management Limited, including the Geological Disposal Facility, and the Low Level Waste Repository contract.   She is now concentrating on Magnox reactor decommissioning options.

Amanda’s husband is a Programme Director, and the couple have three boys and a girl.  The eldest two are pursuing engineering careers and the other two still have time to decide; although they are already interested in STEM – day trips nearly always have an engineering bias.

Bola Sangosanya, Electrical Engineer, Renewable Energy Systems Limited
Bola is a Chartered Energy Engineer with over 12 years experience in the Renewable Energy sector covering sustainable power and heat generation, grid and transmission assets and energy policy. Bola’s experience includes design and delivery of fuelled (biomass and waste) generation plants, wind farm projects, and more recently battery storage technology. She started her career with a 3-year consultancy in KPMG which provided baseline commercial and business processes/strategy skills. Bola has a first-class degree in Electrical Engineering (Power Generation) from Tver State Technical University (Russia) and a MSc in Renewables Energy Systems and Technology from Loughborough University.

Outside of work Bola enjoys hiking and exploring the great outdoors, running (recently ran the London Marathon), and loves to experience new cultures hence her travel wanderlust.

Registration – Please book your place in advance
This knowledge sharing event is for Core level and above WISE members who are interested in hearing from career professionals. There will be a particular focus on the Energy / Power sectors but attendees from any industry or background are welcome. Places are strictly limited and admission will be subject to availability. Registration is essential.

Visitors will be required to sign in at reception and be escorted on site.