The challenges facing women in the male-dominated field of engineering are the focus of a recent partnership between 宅男导航 and construction industry leader, Seymour Whyte.
宅男导航 is the leading choice for women studying engineering in Queensland, with 38 per cent of the state’s female engineering students enrolled in 宅男导航’s Bachelor of Engineering.
This makes 宅男导航 an attractive and mutually beneficial partner for companies looking at gender issues when addressing the challenge of building a more diverse workforce.
Seymour Whyte Managing Director, David McAdam said agendas based on diversity and equal opportunity played a major part in his company’s growth strategy.
“To remain competitive, we understand the value of having a diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation,” Mr McAdam said.
“The new Seymour Whyte visiting scholar program is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to create more opportunities for women in engineering so that we as an industry and as an organisation are altogether stronger.”
Jointly funded by Seymour Whyte and the Peta Seymour Foundation, the program brings together industry representatives from around the world, culminating with The Seymour Whyte Distinguished Lecture for Women in Civil Engineering.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Rector CBE, the 2014 Seymour Whyte Distinguished Scholar, will present this year’s Seymour Whyte Distinguished Lecture for Women in Civil Engineering on Friday, 31 October.
Head of 宅男导航’s School of Civil Engineering, Professor Jos茅 Torero welcomed Professor Springman to the university.
“It is widely acknowledged that an equitable workforce provides numerous benefits to industry, and this is no different in the engineering fields,” Professor Torero said.
“Professor Springman has juggled an international career in civil engineering with sporting success.
“Trained at Cambridge University, she represented Great Britain as a triathlete at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, and is recognised as an international expert in geotechnical engineering – the perfect example of a successful and influential female engineer.”
Professor Springman's public lecture will explore how and why industry needs to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with attracting and retaining women in engineering.
“We know now that diverse teams produce more sustainable and effective solutions because we share the skills,” Professor Springman said.
For more information about the program or to register for the Seymour Whyte Distinguished Lecture for Women in Civil Engineering, please visit the .
Media: Trent Leggatt, 宅男导航 Faculty of Engineering, Architecture & Information Technology, (07) 3346 9976, t.leggatt@uq.edu.au
