Winning the Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Materials Engineering Graduates has given Sara, for the first time, a moment to pause. “It honestly means the world to me,” she says. “I’ve always been focused on the next thing, the next challenge. This award made me stop and reflect on how far I’ve come. I’m genuinely touched that someone paid attention to the journey behind the milestones.”
From creative dreams to composite materials
Sara’s childhood ambitions shifted as quickly as her imagination. “I wanted to be a fashion designer first, then an astrophysicist, and then an aerospace engineer,” she laughs.
The common thread? A fascination with how things are made. Growing up in Lebanon, she devoured TV programmes about fabrication and manufacturing without realising there were entire careers built around materials, surfaces and structural design.
During her aeronautical engineering bachelor’s degree, a module called The Science of Materials changed everything. “I fell in love with it. It gave me a completely new way to see the world — suddenly everything had structure, behaviour, purpose.”
That moment became a pivot point, ultimately pointing her toward Cranfield.
Three degrees, one direction
What followed was a remarkable academic journey. First, an MSc in Aerospace Materials. Then an MRes in Precision Engineering. And finally, a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering, focused on surface optimisation of biomedical implants, work that blended materials science, precision engineering and applied manufacturing.
Across those years, Cranfield became much more than a place of study. “Cranfield was home for me,” Sara says. “The people, the cultures, the community — I grew academically, professionally and personally. Each person offered something that helped me forward, even in small ways.”
Her advice to her past self? “Take things less seriously. I overloaded myself at times. I’d tell her she could achieve the same goals with more calm, and that the journey should be enjoyed, not just survived.”
One memory always makes her smile — the Nickelback parody video she made with her PhD friends during lockdown. “I wrote a parody of Nickelback’s Photograph during Covid, then recorded a full music video for it at graduation. One of my favourite lines was, “Look at this two-point graph… wait sir, please don’t laugh.” It was silly, wholesome, and exactly what we needed at that time.”
From research to real-world impact
After completing her PhD, Sara joined Airborne UK, a global leader in digital and automated composite manufacturing. She moved quickly from Project Engineer to Lead Engineer, and now to Innovation and Project Manager, driving R&D programmes across aerospace, maritime and industrial applications.
Her work spans prototype development, automation pathways, advanced material trials, and the digitalisation of composite manufacturing systems.
It’s a role that blends everything she values - multidisciplinary thinking, hands-on engineering, and real-world outcomes. “I’ve always been drawn to impact - contributing to advanced materials, building things that matter, and helping technologies make the leap from concept to production.”
Her research has been published in high-impact journals, and she has gained international visibility, including earning the Heidenhain Scholarship for her presentation at the EUSPEN conference in Spain. She has also remained closely connected to Cranfield, returning in 2023 to deliver a TEDx talk on the power of multidisciplinary collaboration.
Sara’s global outlook is helped by her multilingual background: fluent in Arabic, French and English, with elementary German — skills that allow her to work and collaborate across sectors and continents.
Engineering with purpose
Beyond her work at Airborne, Sara’s sense of responsibility extends into the humanitarian sphere. She serves as a Trustee at Aviation Without Borders, supporting medical aid deliveries, aviation discovery days for disadvantaged children, and global humanitarian initiatives.
She also runs Facet & Fir, a minimalist 3D-printing design studio that serves as her creative reset, and Untethered Club, a growing community for expatriate women in the UK.
When asked what she’s most proud of, she doesn’t mention the awards, the publications or the rapid career progression. “I’m proud of the person I’ve become through the process. Moving countries, constantly learning, building a career I’m passionate about. It took resilience I didn’t always know I had and I’m proud I stayed curious and kept aiming for impact.”
Her heroes, she says, are the women who raised, supported and inspired her. “Their strength and persistence shaped me more than any textbook ever could.”
Looking ahead
Sara’s ambitions reflect the same blend of curiosity, creativity and purpose that fuels her work. She hopes to visit Madagascar, write a book, and grow Untethered Club into a true home-away-from-home community for women across the UK.
Her advice to graduates is clear and heartfelt: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Use your Cranfield legacy as a launchpad. Take what you’ve built here and carry it confidently into the world. And don’t be afraid to aim high, we’ll be cheering you on.”
Sara Hawi’s story from fashion sketches to advanced composites, from Lebanon to the UK, from student to innovation leader — is a reminder of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity, and when ambition is paired with compassion.
