Inclusive Engineering Toolkit – Expert Working Group and Contributor biographies

The EPC’s Inclusive Engineering Toolkit is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the development of the Inclusive Engineering Toolkit.

 

Expert Working Group


The Royal Academy of Engineering
(Planning and Scoping Group Member)

Programme Manager, Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering.


The Royal Academy of Engineering
(Planning and Scoping Group Member)

Senior Manager in the Diversity and Inclusion team at the Royal Academy of Engineering.


University College London
(Co-Chair)

Dr Irina Lazar is an Associate Professor in Engineering and Public Policy, and Director of Undergraduate Education at the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), University College London, where she is also the programme lead for the BSc Science and Engineering for Social Change. Before joining UCL, she was a Senior Lecturer in Dynamics and Control and the Faculty Education Director (Undergraduate) for Engineering at the University of Bristol, where she obtained her PhD in 2016 and worked at the interface between civil and mechanical engineering.

Through her engineering work, Irina become acutely aware of the gap between technological advancement and its implementation on a large scale in society, and of the sometimes-narrow solution we propose for addressing complex issues. This realisation led to her decision to study public policy at the LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science) in 2021. Irina is involved in a multitude of research projects on designing an engineering curriculum that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. She works with partners from the GW4 Alliance and the Engineering Professors Council on embedding sustainability in engineering programmes.

She also leads a project on Inclusive Engineering Education, looking at the impact of exclusionary experiences on access and attainment in higher education and, throughout her career, has led the design and implementation of multiple outreach and widening participation programmes.


Engineering Professors’ Council
(Project Manager)

Crystal is a Project Manager (IT / Web / Research and Editorial) at the Engineering Professors’ Council. Crystal oversees the development, continuous improvement, and daily operations of EPC Online, managing WordPress backend and frontend systems, conducting CRM/CMS testing, and coordinating with external developers. She manages project workflows, documents test processes, analyses performance data, and maintains comprehensive project and reporting logs. Proficient in HTML and experienced with Python, Crystal also guided the successful migration of website content and authored a detailed user manual outlining technical processes.

Crystal also plays a key role in the creation of EPC Toolkits. She co-project managed and played a central role in the creation and delivery of the EPC’s Sustainability Toolkit and the Inclusive Employability Toolkit, leading design, content development, research, stakeholder engagement, resource creation and more. Crystal was also selected to create resources for each of the toolkits, including a how-to guide, a resource library and a university career services library. She is currently leading the development of the Inclusive Engineering Toolkit and works closely with the EPC’s EDI Community of Practice. She is also a member of Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Skills for Sustainability Network.

Read Crystal’s full bio here.

Contact Crystal at c.nwagboso@epc.ac.uk.



University College London
(Co-Chair)

Dr Chika Nweke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London (UCL) and carries out the roles of Departmental Tutor (Director of Studies), Departmental Director for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and oversees the Design & Professional Skills course in the Centre for Engineering Education (CEE), UCL. She is also responsible for the Bioprocess Validation and Quality by Design (QbD) undergraduate, MSc, doctoral and industry training courses.

She completed her undergraduate and PhD degrees in the Department of Biochemical Engineering, UCL where her research focused on the mechanical performance of chromatographic adsorbents in collaboration with Eli Lilly & Co. In 2021 she obtained an MSc in Engineering Education, Institute of Education (IOE), UCL and since then has developed scholarship in the intersection of Engineering Education and EDI, publishing a number of papers in these areas.


Engineering Professors’ Council
(Planning and Scoping Group Member)

As well as his role with the EPC, Johnny Rich is well known across the higher education sector as a high-profile commentator on policy issues as well as the chief executive of student advice and outreach organisation Push, as a consultant working in education and careers, and as an author. Before joining the EPC, Johnny has already worked on many issues of concern to our members. Over the past 25 years, he led Push’s research – such as on drop-out rates and student debt – which has had direct impacts on policy.

Johnny’s thought leadership, such as his papers for a graduate levy and a national access fund (2018) and on employability (2015) for the Higher Education Policy Institute, have been influential throughout the sector. Policy issues are also a significant part of his consultancy work, along with communications. His clients have included the European Commission, HEFCE, U-Multirank, as well as many universities, recruiters and charities.

He’s a regular speaker at conferences, awards and in schools. In 2013, his novel A Human Script was published.


University of Manchester
(Chair)

Professor Sarah Sharples CBE FREng is Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester, where she provides strategic leadership across a broad engineering portfolio. An international expert in human factors engineering, she has shaped national thinking on the engineering challenges facing society through senior advisory roles with bodies such as EPSRC, ESRC and Advance HE.

She previously served as Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Department for Transport (2021–25), leading major programmes on decarbonisation, applied AI, and cross‑modal transport safety — strengthening the integration of engineering innovation into government decision‑making.

A long‑standing leader in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in engineering and academia, she served as Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor for EDI and People at the University of Nottingham, driving institution‑wide cultural and structural change. She has also championed inclusive engineering practice across the sector through her work with professional bodies and national initiatives.

Professor Sharples is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, reflecting her sustained contributions to engineering excellence and inclusive leadership

 

Let us know what you think of our website