Overview
The 100-year anniversary of Women in Engineering and Sciences in the UK was celebrated throughout 2019. Despite the recognised need for diversification in STEM-related roles, statistics show that only 12% of professional engineers, 21% of all academic professors and 20% of the UK water sector’s workforce identify as women. This under-representation of women has resulted in a loss of talent within these sectors, with diversity recognised as being crucial for a more holistic approach in research, especially when providing solutions that aim to serve societies. However, change is on the horizon, and there is a need to continue to raise the profile of ‘women in water’ and encourage women to aspire to exciting careers within academia and industry.
Aim of the conference
This conference is open to both men and women attendees working to support women in engineering and STEM. The event will provide a platform for female early career researchers and young water professionals to promote their work and research, thereby encouraging careers within the water sector and increasing the visibility of women working within these areas.
Keynote speakers
The programme includes keynote speeches, two plenary sessions for presentations, posters to highlight leading work, and a conclusive discussion panel to debate the progress in gender equality in the water sector.
Our inspirational, highly successful ‘Women in Water’ keynote speakers are Professor Elise Cartmell and Lila Thompson, who will discuss their projects and career development in industry and academia within science and engineering.
Elise Cartmell is the Chief Scientist at Scottish Water, responsible for sampling, laboratory and scientific services and for research and innovation. Elise joined Scottish Water in April 2016 following a career in academia at Cranfield University, where she was Professor of Water Technology and Director of Environmental Technology. Here she specialised in wastewater treatment with particular reference to trace contaminants and anaerobic processes. Elise is a chemist with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh and PhD from Imperial College, London. Prior to joining Cranfield in 2000 she was a research scientist at WRc plc. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Royal Society of Chemistry and is on the Board of UKWIR |
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Lila is the Chief Executive of British Water, a dynamic trade association with a varied membership of companies covering all sectors of the water and wastewater industry. British Water works to bring a coherent voice on behalf of the industry and ensure its members have access to information and contacts that they need to enhance their business development and best practices. Lila was formerly responsible for the delivery of British Water’s international services which included leading scoping and business development visits to a wide range of markets including Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, China and India to help companies grow their business overseas. Lila has a BSc (Hons) from Birkbeck, University of London in Economics & Social Policy and a Diploma in International Trade. Lila has over 20 years of international experience supporting business growth, policy development and stakeholder engagement in a variety of industry sectors. |
Event programme
09:15-09:30 | Welcome speech |
09:30-10:00 | Keynote - Professor Elise Cartmell, Chief Scientist at Scottish Water |
10:00-10:30 | Presentations 10:00 - From geomorphology to archaeology: disentangling river changes over different timescales, Kim Vercruysse 10:15 - Exploring approaches to adaptive pathways applied in flooding and coastal erosion risk management, Leonie Constantine |
10:30-10:45 | Break |
10:45-11:45 | Presentations 10:45 - Delving into the future of drinking water: Chemical free drinking water treatment and distribution experimentations, Natalie Lamb 11:00 - Transforming slow sand filtration for drinking water supply, Tolulope Elemo 11:15 - Rooting out resilience, Elizabeth Lawson 11:30 - The route map to net-zero carbon emissions for the UK water sector by 2030, Ellie Russell |
11:45-12:30 | Break |
12:30-13:00 | Keynote - Lila Thompson, CEO of British Water |
13:00-13:45 | Presentations 13:00 - Keeping your head above water! Jo Cullen, Environment Agency and Welsh Water 13:15 - More than just a Technical Analyst – a Yorkshire Water perspective, Anne Newton 13:30 - Women’s leadership in WASH: do we understand the barriers in developing countries? Ameerah Anathallee |
13:45-14:00 | Break |
14:00-14:30 | Panel discussion: Chair - Professor Ana Soares, Cranfield University • Lila Thompson, British Water • Professor Elise Cartmell, Scottish Water • Professor Raffaella Villa, De Montfort University, Leicester • Professor Bruce Jefferson, Cranfield University |
14:30-14:45 | Best poster and presentation awards and closing session |
Who should attend
- Young water professionals,
- Early career researchers in water,
- MSc students,
- PhD students,
- Members of the water science/engineering community.
Sponsorship opportunities
To help to fund the conference, a collection of attractive sponsorship packages are available for organisations who wish to support this initiative. All sponsors will be acknowledged during the conference and listed on relevant communications.
Conference organising committee
Olivia Berzal de Frutos
Samuela Guida
Natalia Jawiarczyk
Andrea Momblanch
Rachel Whitton
Dolores Rey Vicario