Sustainability Toolkit – Steering group and contributor biographies

The EPC’s Sustainability Toolkit is supported by Siemens and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making the Toolkit such a useful and vital resource.
If you would like to add or update your bio, please contact Crystal Nwagboso.

 

Steering group and contributor biographies


Lemelson / Engineering for One Planet
(Steering group member / Toolkit contributor)

Cindy Anderson (she/her/hers) is the founder and CEO of Alula Consulting and is a sustainability consultant. Cindy specializes in innovative sustainability- and online-focused research and curriculum projects for academic institutions, non-profits, government and corporations.

Cindy has taught thousands of people through courses and workshops, around the world and online, in the fields of biology, sustainability and biomimicry. She is honored to be a collaborative partner on the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) initiative since its inception and serves as a Strategy Consultant for EOP. She is co-author of the EOP Framework and new framework companion teaching guides, and active EOP Network Member.

Cindy holds a MS from Oregon State University, a MEd from Griffith University (Queensland, Australia), and a BSc in biology from the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada).


Kings College London, Royal Academy of Engineering, Aston University
(Steering group member)

Dawn Bonfield is a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence at King’s College London embedding entrepreneurship skills into undergraduate engineering qualifications, and empowering students to use their engineering skills to address the SDGs through teaching, project work, and competitions.

She is also Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at Aston University teaching professional skills, ethics, sustainability, global responsibility, inclusive outcomes, and ESG to MSc and Degree apprenticeship students.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and sits on the Education and Skills Committee, as well as the Africa Engineers Steering Group, and is UK representative of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, and incoming President of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council.

She is also a Fellow of IOM3 where she sits on the Sustainable Development Group.

Kirsty Connell-Skinner
Housing Construction Innovation Scotland; Edinburgh Napier University
(Steering group member)

Kirsty Connell-Skinner manages the Housing, Construction & Infrastructure Skills Gateway, a £6 million investment from the UK and Scottish Governments dedicated to increasing and diversifying employment in construction across Edinburgh and South-East Scotland.

Based at Edinburgh Napier University, she combines over a decade of experience in philanthropic fundraising with innovative management techniques gained from her MBA to drive forward public and private investment in the next generation of engineering, computing and business professionals, with a particular focus on timber construction as Editor of Timber Development UK’s Knowledge Library.

Passionate about empowering change and delivering equality as a feminist and activist, Kirsty is Treasurer of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group and former Chair of the Scottish Fundraising Standards Panel, the self-regulatory body for charity fundraising in Scotland.

SJ Cooper-Knock PhD 
 University of Sheffield
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Emma Crichton CEng MICE
Engineers Without Borders UK
(Steering group member / Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Dr Panos Doss CEng SFHEA MIMechE
Aston University
(Steering group member)

Dr Panos Doss is a Senior Fellow of the HEA, a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (FIMMM), a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET), and an Affiliate member of the Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA).

He is the Director of Sustainable Engineering (MSc) at Aston University, and a member of the Sustainable Development in Teaching working group at Aston University where co-Leads the Education for Sustainable Development and Engineering Ethics research sub-group. In partnership with Engineers without Borders UK since 2018, Panos has been successfully embedding sustainability within engineering programmes, where students participate in Global Engineering Design Challenges.

He leads the Efficiency for Access Engineering Design Challenge, and the delivery of modules including Sustainability in Engineering Practice, Life Cycle Analysis & Circular Economy, and Pathways to Net Zero. Bringing his knowledge and expertise, Panos aims to help shape and develop globally-minded future generations of engineers that are agents of change for sustainable development.

Pamela Dugdale Ph.D
Further Education Teacher
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Laura Fogg-Rogers
University of the West of England
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr Laura Fogg-Rogers is Associate Professor for Engineering in Society at UWE Bristol, researching and teaching about community engagement with technology for the net zero transition. She is a social psychology scholar researching competence development (knowledge, attitudes, behaviour) and underpinning social identity and values for more effective communication. Laura led the Engagement, Dissemination and Ethics Work Package for the €6.7 million ClairCity project (EU H2020 689289 – Citizen-led Air Pollution Reduction in Cities 2016-2020) in six cities/regions across Europe. She also delivered and evaluated the €1.9 million citizen science project WeCount (EU SwFS 87274 – Citizens Observing Urban Transport 2019-2021. Laura manages the Science Communication Unit (SCU) team organising science outreach for schools in the West of England through the Curiosity Connections network and the Inspire Sustainability education programme, reaching over 20,000 young people. The team embed equity and inclusivity into their work, with a tiered mentoring programme for women under-represented in engineering, and support for young people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Wendy Fowles-Sweet
University of the West of England
(Toolkit contributor)

Wendy Fowles-Sweet leads on Engineering Professionalism in the School of Engineering at UWE. Previously she worked as a principal quality assurance engineer and change manager in Aerospace and was a Chartered Engineer for 23 years. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Wendy has run project, placement and professionalism modules across the School. Additionally, she is the School’s Co-ordinator for Engineering Degree Apprenticeships, and has a range of industry links with employers across the Advanced Engineering sector. She has a keen interest in developing the professionalism of engineers, to support graduate attributes and the transition from academia to industry.

Professor Jarka Glassey FREng CEng FIChemE PFHEA
Newcastle University
(Toolkit contributor)

Director of Education, School of Engineering

Dr Alicia Gonzalez-Buelga
University of Bristol
(Steering group member)

Alicia Gonzalez-Buelga is an Academic in the Faculty of Engineering at University of Bristol where she teaches a wide variety of topics, from automatic control to energy policy. She is passionate about sustainability, transition (low energy) and education in engineering. She is leading a proejct in her school on embedding sustainability in the curriculum, and she is working on creating an online platform to share resources in teaching for sustainability.

Dr Sarah Jayne Hitt SFHEA
Engineering Professors’ Council, NMITE, ENU
(Project Manager for the Sustainability Toolkit / Toolkit contributor)

Sarah Jayne Hitt, Ph.D. SFHEA specialises in the integration of the arts, humanities and social sciences within engineering education, especially focussing on ethics and communication.

She has served as project manager for the EPC’s Ethics and Sustainability Toolkit initiatives, is Transferable Skills Lead for the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology at NMITE and is Visiting Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University.

She has led national and international workshops on interdisciplinary learning and teaching and worked with academic and industry partners on various engineering education initiatives. She has recent publications in the International Journal of Engineering Education and The Journal of Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education.

Professor Tim Ibell FREng FIStructE FICE FHEA
University of Bath
(Steering group member)

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Design, Professor of Structural Engineering in the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, University of Bath

Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos
Southampton University
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Aditya Johri
George Mason University
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Dr. Irene Josa
University College London
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr. Irene Josa is a Research Fellow at the Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Department at UCL. She is currently working on environmental and social life cycle assessment of circularity strategies in construction. Irene holds a BSc and MSc in Civil Engineering, a MSc in Human Rights and a PhD in Construction Engineering.

She is interested in interdisciplinary research at the intersection between engineering and socio-environmental systems. She believes in sustainable engineering as key for making this world a better place by improving people’s quality of life and solving several of today’s most important global challenges. She is also an EPC Ethics Ambassador.

Dr Gill Lacey MIEEE, FHEA
Teesside University
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr Gill Lacey is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, MIEEE (2012), MIET (2017). Her focus is low carbon technologies, especially Smart Grid and the effect of EV charging on networks. She runs courses around decarbonising the electricity grid and renewable energy, together with entry level 3 courses designed to equip students with the relevant skills for undergraduate engineering. Partnerships with industry, such as offshore wind installers, community energy charities and local entrepreneurs, make the courses relevant, interesting and aspirational.

She is passionate about sustainable technologies; with rooftop solar, domestic storage, and a driver of electric vehicles for ten years, this is more than a job, it is a way of life. She is also an EPC Ethics Ambassador.

Maryam Lamere, PGCert, MPhil, MEng 
University of the West of England
(Toolkit contributor)

Maryam had an early career in Research & Development (R&D) of sustainable technologies, including an electromagnetic stove from a £2 million consortium between Practical Action and the University of Nottingham in 2010 and a metallic flywheel commercialised today through a university spin-out supported by a £545,000 grant from the UK Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. Maryam’s PhD now focusses on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP’s) as enabler of effective technology transfer. During her two-year Action Research on the Bristol Bioenergy Centre (BBiC)’s PEE POWER ®, she pioneered KTP’s with R&D institutions and non-profit organisations in Africa and Europe. Maryam has over 12 years’ experience as an Academic and her work has paved the way for best practices in teaching Engineering for Sustainable Development at UWE. She has published several articles on those best practices and was featured Engineering Without Borders Changer Maker.

Dr Irina Lazar
University College London
(Steering group member)

Irina Lazar is an Associate Professor in Engineering and Public Policy in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, at University College London, where she is Director of Undergraduate Education.

She also leads a programme on Science and Engineering for Social Change, combining technical training with social scientific and policy skills.

Irina hold degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering and is passionate about engineering and education alike, with her research interests spanning across inclusive engineering education, programme design and blended teaching and learning.

Irina believes sustainability should be at the core of engineering education and deeply embedded into programmes and is working on developing an online platform to enable collaboration in this area. 

Marianthi Leon
University of the West of England
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Dr Lampros Litos
Cranfield University
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Diana Adela Martin
University College London
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Millie May
Cambridge University
(Steering group member)

Education Lead Cambridge Climate Society.

Ema Muk-Pavic (CEng, FRINA, SFHEA)
University College London
(Toolkit contributor)

Ema Muk-Pavic (CEng, FRINA, SFHEA) is an Associate Professor at University College London (UCL) and holds the role of Departmental tutor (PGT) at UCL Mechanical Engineering. In her educational leadership role, she focuses on engineering education, Sustainability and D&I in HE Sector. She contributes to engineering council efforts for the global mobility of engineers worldwide. She joined UCL in 2011 bringing 15 years of international commercial experience in maritime sector including R&D, consultancy and shipyards.

Mike Murray BSc (Hons) MSc PhD AMICE SFHEA
University of Strathclyde
(Toolkit contributor)

Mike Murray is Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Mike is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and was awarded best Teacher in the Faculty of Engineering (2014); Most Innovative University Teacher (2018) at the University Teaching Excellence awards, and winner of the Faculty of Engineering Excellence in Supporting Students (2021) award. He has contributed to journals such as Teaching in Higher Education, Higher Education Pedagogies, and the European Journal of Engineering Education.

Peter Mylon MEng PhD CEng
University of Sheffield
(Toolkit contributor)

Pete Mylon is a Senior University Teacher at the University of Sheffield. He is a National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the HEA and Fellow of the IMechE, specialising in Making, makerspaces and student-led learning, as well as teaching engineering design and CAD. He has worked with many institutions across the world to support them in creating and growing makerspaces, from universities in Malaysia to refugee camps in Jordan. In 2017, he created the iForge, the UK’s first student-led makerspace. He also oversees the approximately 20 student-led co-curricular activities in the Faculty of Engineering, involving more than 800 students. He co-founded Hackcessible, the international hackathon that sees students working alongside disabled people to solve real life challenges through designing and building assistive technology. He is passionate about student-led learning and providing opportunities for students to work across disciplines and gain real-world experience.

Onyekachi Nwafor
KatexPower
(Toolkit contributor)

Onyekachi Nwafor is a seasoned professional in the field of renewable energy and energy transition, with a strong passion for sustainability and driving the transition towards a low-carbon economy. He is currently the CEO of KatexPower. His expertise includes designing and implementing solar PV systems to provide clean and sustainable energy services to off-grid and underserved communities.

Onyekachi is also the membership manager for Western Africa at the Global Waste Cleaning Network, advocating for environmental protection and waste management. With a background in electrical engineering, green energy, and climate finance, he is also a certified energy transformation expert. He has actively participated in various international conferences and workshops, where he shares his knowledge and experiences with industry experts and institutions. He is also an EPC Ethics Ambassador.

Crystal Nwagboso
Engineering Professors’ Council
(Steering group member / Toolkit contributor)

Crystal Nwagboso is a Project Manager, Research and Editorial Executive/Analyst at the Engineering Professors’ Council. She is responsible for project managing the creation of the new EPC website, conducting tasks such as WordPress backend & frontend CRM/CMS testing, and collaborating with external website developers. She also leads development meetings, formulates agendas, minutes, and action logs on a weekly basis, analyses data, and is in charge of a project management platform and various spreadsheet logs to document and monitor tests. She is proficient in using HTML coding and has utilised Python programming language software. Crystal was also involved in the now-completed, website content migration process.

In conjunction with this, Crystal also formulates, proofreads, and revises material for the website and has created a user manual outlining the technical intricacies of the website.

Crystal is also working on the development of the EPC’s Siemens and RAEng funded Sustainability Toolkit project, which she has been involved in since the beginning phases. She is in charge of conducting research, analysing data, providing project management and executive support, designing all Sustainability Toolkit pages on EPC Online, formatting contributions, creating a database of existing engineering resources for sustainability, and is an active member of the Sustainability Toolkit Steering Group.

Additionally, Crystal assists the executive team with a plethora of tasks including planning and coordinating events, scheduling and setting up Zoom webinars and meetings, liaising with over 8,000 EPC members in the database; ensuring all members are informed of the latest developments at the EPC and initiating discussions, conducting research analysis for upcoming projects, updating the EPC’s database and social media channels, social media marketing, assisting with the relaunch of the EPC’s newsletter, minute taking, composing press releases and more.

Crystal graduated from Kings College London and has a degree in English Language and Linguistics.

Gabrielle Orbaek-White PhD
Swansea University
(Steering group member)

Teaching Tutor & Change Facilitator, Science and Engineering at Swansea University

Goudarz Poursharif CEng SFHEA
Aston University
(Steering group member)

Dr Goudarz Poursharif is the Associate Dean-Education for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) at Aston University. He is a Chartered Engineer member of the IET, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Practitioner of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

He is the Chair of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment’s Birmingham Steering Group and the Chair of Sustainable Development in Teaching working group at Aston University. His two main passions are education and engineering for a sustainable development, so since 2012, Goudarz has combined his two main passions by embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Engineering curricula of both University of Sheffield and Aston University as well as working directly with industry to upskill their sustainability skills.

He has funded the Engineering for People Design Challenge at Aston University and co-led the development and implementation of MSc Sustainable Engineering Aston University.

Dr Rebecca Raper
Cranfield University
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Dr Manoj Ravi FHEA
University of Leeds
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Johnny Rich
Engineering Professors’ Council, Chief Executive
(Steering 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.

Neil Rogers
Independent Scholar
(Tookit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Professor Manuela Rosa
University of Algarve, Institute of Engineering
(Toolkit contributor)

Manuela Rosa graduated in Civil Engineering (University of Lisbon), holds a M.Sc. in Renovation of Architectural and Landscape Heritage (University of Évora) and a Ph.D. in Land Use Planning and Environmental Strategies (University of Seville). She is Coordinator Professor at Institute of Engineering of University of Algarve, where she lectures Sustainability, Sustainable Urbanism, Sustainable Mobility and Inclusive Design. She was the scientific coordinator of the Project – Accessibility for all in Tourism (2017-2019) and the co-coordinator of the Project SusTowns – Enhancing SUStainable tourism attraction in small fascinating med TOWNS (2019-2022). She is also Engineering Ethics Toolkit contributor and EPC Ethics Ambassador.

Dr. Jemma L. Rowlandson
University of Bristol
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Cigdem Sengul, Ph.D FHEA
Brunel University
(Toolkit contributor)

Cigdem Sengul is a Reader in Computer Science at Brunel University, where she teaches Sustainable Development Goals integrated within Undergraduate Computer Science and Business Computing Software Projects. As the co-lead of the Computer Science for Social Good Research Group, she is dedicated to leveraging technology for positive societal impact. Her current research focuses on usable security and the development of trustworthy systems, particularly for smart home and healthcare applications. Her work aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and controllability for users, ensuring their safety and privacy. Cigdem has also been an active participant in the IETF ACE (Authentication and Authorization in Constrained Environments) standardization working group since 2016 in an effort to foster a more secure Internet of Things ecosystem. She is a Fulbright Fellow (2001).

Dr. Rehan Shah
Queen Mary University of London
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr. Shah is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Mathematics and Engineering Education at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) with research interests in applied mathematics (nonlinear dynamics, analytical mechanics and mathematical modelling) as well as mathematics and engineering education pedagogy.

He is also the School Lead for Inclusive Scholarship for the Centre for Academic Inclusion in Science and Engineering (CAISE) at QMUL, the Research Seminars Coordinator, Centre for Research in Engineering and Materials Education (CREME)and a Research Integrity Champion for the Queen Mary Research Integrity Committee (RIC). In addition to this, he is also an Associate Member of the UCL Centre for Engineering Education (CEE) and serves as the Co-Chair of the Ethics Ambassador Community for the Engineering Professors Council (EPC).

He completed his PhD in Applied Mathematics (Nonlinear Dynamics) at University College London (UCL), where he also taught on a wide range of courses in mathematics, physics and engineering for which he received several teaching excellence awards. In addition to this, he is an accredited Fellow (FHEA) of the UK Higher Education Academy and has also been a Guest Mathematics Teacher at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Prior to this, he taught GCSE and A-Level Mathematics as a full-time secondary school teacher at several independent schools across London. He also has an MSc in Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing from the University of Oxford (St. Anne’s College) and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering with Business Finance from UCL.

Dr Homeira Shayesteh BSc MArch PhD PGCertHE SFHEA ACIAT
Middlesex University
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr Homeira Shayesteh is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture & BIM at Middlesex University. She received her PhD from Bartlett UCL where she also worked as post-doctoral researcher and design tutor. She was part of the delivery team of Digital Built Britain contributing to the UK government construction strategy. She held an EPSRC Knowledge Exchange Associate Grant with Autodesk looking into BIM and Digital Twin data flow across the construction life cycle. She is passionate about integrating digital innovations and sustainability into curriculum co-design and initiated embedding the UNSDGs on programme level at Middlesex University in 2021. She was runner up for Guardian Education Award in the category of Teaching and Learning Excellence in 2020 and finalist in London Sustainable Construction award in 2020. In addition to research in education of sustainability, her research interest lies in applied data-driven approaches to sustainable, regenerative, and inclusive architecture/urbanism and from the users’ point of view. She has many publications in peered reviewed journals and presented in prestigious conferences such as UK Higher Education Conference and Advance HE Sustainability Symposium.

Dr Scott Strachan BEng (Hons.), PhD
University of Strathclyde
(Steering group member)

Scott M. Strachan received the B.Eng. (Hons.) and Ph.D. degrees in 1995 and 2005 from the University of Strathclyde. Since his appointment within the Institute of Energy and Environment (Inst EE) in 1997, he has conducted numerous research projects with leading UK energy companies, mainly focusing on the areas of plant condition monitoring, asset management, data mining, knowledge management and engineering, and intelligent systems applications for power systems.

He has been active in the universal energy access research (SDG7) since 2006. He was a founder of the Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) Department’s staff/student outreach Gambia Solar Project and Tamil Nadu Solar Project; designing and installing off-grid solar PV systems to rural schools and health clinics.

He is Co-Director of the Vertically Integrated Project for Sustainable Development programme (winner of the 2019 International Green Gown Award for Student Engagement and 2020 AASHE Award for Campus Sustainability Research).

He is also Education for Sustainable Development lead in the University’s Centre for Sustainable Development and Co-Convenor of the ESD Topic Support Network for Learning for Sustainability Scotland, a UN Regional Centre of Expertise. Scott also Chairs the University’s ESD Working Group and Strathclyde Climate Ambassadors’ Networks (SCAN), which won the 2022 UK & Ireland Green Gown Award for Student Engagement with Climate Education workshops.

Dr Gilbert Tang
(Toolkit contributor)
Cranfield University

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Emanuela Tilley PFHEA
University College London
(Steering group member)

Emanuela Tilley is Professor of Engineering Education and Director of the Integrated Engineering Programme at University College London (UCL), in London, United Kingdom. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).

The Integrated Engineering Programme is an award winning teaching framework embedded in the learning experiences of undergraduate students across UCL Engineering to better prepare them for tackling future global challenges.

Professor Tilley has established an international profile in the areas of leading curriculum design and development as well as cultural change required to support and foster innovation in engineering education within higher education.

She is a Board Director for SEFI (European Society of Engineering Education) and Director of Education at the UCL Centre for Engineering Education (CEE).

Erica Trump
Siemens Digital Industries Software
(Steering group)

SaaS Academic Product Manager, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Dr Jonathan Truslove MEng PhD
Engineers Without Borders UK
(Toolkit contributor)

Sustainability Toolkit contributor.

Professor Colin Turner
Ulster University
(Steering group member)

Colin Turner is Executive Dean for the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment and Professor of Engineering Education at Ulster University.

In previous roles Colin has been a Head of School for Engineering at Ulster for 8 years, and the institional lead for Learning and Teaching for the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a previous Past President of the (EPC) Engineering Professors’ Council.

He is Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Mathematician with significant software development and architecture experience. Colin is a Principal Fellow of the HEA (Higher Education Academy), a National Teaching Fellow, a Fellow of the (IET) Insitition of Engineering and Technology, and a Fellow of the (IMA) Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Juliet Upton
The Royal Academy of Engineering
(Steering group member)

When the opportunity to join the Royal Academy of Engineering came in 2021 to head up education and skills policy, Juliet leapt to the challenge. She exited her role in UK government as Head of Youth Skills Policy at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where she worked across government and with the National Cyber Security Centre to develop policy and programmes to help reduce a critical gap in the current and future market for cyber security skills.

At the Royal Academy of Engineering, she’s working with multiple teams and wider stakeholders to re-define engineering skills for the 21st century, part of which includes a project to transform how we educate and train our undergraduate engineers across UK universities so that they graduate well equipped to design, build and manufacture a net positive world.

With over 30 years’ experience of driving policy change, strategy, business development and programme delivery for science and engineering organisations, she’s motivated by innovation and transformation – and above all by driving impact for societal benefit. She’s led projects to develop a new vision for science and maths education for the Royal Society, undertaken research and programme development to stimulate public engagement by UK researchers, promoted engineering for global construction company, Balfour Beatty, and as part of a senior team at the Engineering Council, transformed the engineering profession and its structures in 2002, creating sister organisation, Engineering UK. She is also vice-chair of the governing board of a 4-primary school network in London and a trustee of the charitable foundation, the IBMUK Trust.

Dr Natasha Watson
Buro Happold
(Steering group member)

After completing her doctorate in low impact building materials in 2016, Natasha has become one of the experts leading the development of knowledge on the embodied impacts of construction materials within the construction industry as well as on Buro Happold projects.

Natasha is the UK Embodied Carbon Lead for Structures, and her goal is to develop and deliver our advisory and consultancy service in the area of Embodied Carbon over and above Buro Happold’s own dedication to reducing embodied carbon as a company. This also includes upskilling her colleagues in their understanding of embodied carbon, primarily in its measurement and reduction.
As well as the technical aspects of tackling the climate emergency, she is interested in the wider issues around equity and unconscious bias in the built environment, as well as intersectional environmentalism. This has lead to her co-leading the UK Chapter of Urban C:Lab, Buro Happold’s ‘think tank’. Urban C:Lab allows Buro Happold employees to explore emergent disruption in the built environment. It is deliberately collaborative, working with clients, designers, academia, think tanks and institutions.

Professor Dilys Williams FRSA 
University of the Arts London, Centre for Sustainable Fashion
(Steering group member)

Professor Dilys Williams FRSA is founder and Director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion, a University of the Arts London Research Centre, based at London College of Fashion. Dilys’ work explores fashion’s relational ecological, social, economic and cultural elements to contribute to sustainability in and through its artistic, business and educational practices. 

Trained at Manchester Metropolitan University and holding a UAL professorship in Fashion Design for Sustainability, Dilys publishes widely on fashion and sustainability in peer reviewed academic journals and published books.  Dilys’ work draws on extensive experience in lead womenswear designer roles for international collections, including at Katharine Hamnett, Liberty and Whistles. This industry experience is complimented by a longstanding internationally recognised teaching and research portfolio focused on the development of sustainability centred design practices, based on principles of holism, participation and transformation design. 

Dilys is a member of the UNFCCC Global Climate Action in Fashion and sits on advisory committees for Positive Luxury and the Global Fashion Agenda. She is currently acting as a Special Adviser for All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion and is a member of the jury for Vogue YOOX Challenge – The Future of Responsible Fashion. 

Her place on the Evening Standard London’s Progress 1000 list in 2015, 2016 and 2017 evidences the public and academic influence of her work alongside regular appearances on broadcast television, radio and magazines including recent appearances on BBC World, Sky News, Radio 4, WWD, the Gentlewoman, Vogue and Elle magazine. In 2020, she was named Drapers’ Sustainable Fashion Champion.

Katie Williams
Mott MacDonald
(Steering group member)

Katie Williams is a Net Zero Advisor at Mott MacDonald, working mainly with public sector clients within the Buildings and Cities unit.

Her role includes advising clients on decarbonisation pathways and undertaking carbon footprint assessments to support BREEAM certification. She studied Engineering at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Energy, Sustainability and the Environment.

Since graduating in 2018, she has worked in the aviation sector, and for a product development consultancy before starting her current role in August 2022.

Outside of work, she volunteers with the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC), an organisation made up of volunteers aged 18-29 who aim to empower young people to take positive action for climate justice.

Projects with UKYCC have included developing an online database of MPs voting records on climate-related bills, a workshop for KS3 pupils on climate justice, and most recently a podcast that aims to share the stories of youth climate activists.

Chris Wise FREng FICE FIStructE HonFRIBA RD
Expedition Engineering
(Sustainability Toolkit Steering Group Chair)

Senior Director, Expedition Engineering / Researcher, University of Bath / Visiting Professor, University of Cambridge.

Dr Lucy Yeomans
University of Exeter
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr Lucy Yeomans is a Lecturer of Education at the University of Exeter. Their research and teaching focusses on the reproduction of social inequalities in education, particularly STEM education, with a particular interest in the role of social class. Current research explores how pedagogies and the broader culture of STEM fields act to exclude those from underrepresented backgrounds. Lucy has worked on a number of interdisciplinary STEM education projects, including the ASPIRES project (ESRC), Unkindest Cut (Arts Council/Wellcome Trust), and Road-STEAMer (Horizon Europe).

Jing Zhao Ph.D. FHEA
University of West of England
(Toolkit contributor)

Dr. Zhao is Senior Lecturer in Architecture at University of West of England. She gained her PhD at University of Edinburgh. Her research has a focus on investigating the social, technical and organisational changes in the transition to Net Zero in the Housing sector, and their policy implications. Human-centred, place-based approach, as well as co-production and collaboration are the core of her research activities. She is an expert on Passivhaus, occupant behaviour and behaviour change, as well as user engagement and support. She adopts research-based approach to curriculum design and uses gamification and role-play in her teaching.

 

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