On Tuesday 24 January 2023 four of our senior students were invited to an event in the Engineering Faculty at TUS which focused on women in Engineering. Three ladies spoke to all those present about their respective journeys into their careers and the opportunities they have had as a consequence.

What was most inspiring for the students was listening to passionate ladies who trajectories into Engineering were very different. What resonates with me in this regard is the wise saying ‘what’s meant for you won’t pass you.’ The first speaker Dr. Clodagh Reid finished school at 17 and pursued Further Education & Training at Moate Business College before making concrete plans for her third level studies. Those undergraduate studies in Engineering took her to the University of Limerick before moving to TUS Athlone where she continued her PhD studies. She is now employed as a lecturer there and continues to work with the University of Cincinnati in the United States and to present her work at conference in various parts of the world.

The second speaker, Joanne Fayne, a polymer graduate from TUS spoke about her Engineering career since graduating college. Her first job was in Manufacturing with Athlone Extrusions before embarking on work with a start-up company who specialised in developing medical devices. Her current position sees her working as a Director in Research & Design at Teleflex Medical Europe Ltd. in Athlone. The company is a provider of specialty medical devices for a range of procedures in critical care and surgery.  Her presentation was inspiring as it showed our students the experiences acquired in these companies and the passion she has for her work and the future of Engineering. One of the infinite possibilities is software engineering’s place in the medical device industry where medical devices may be monitored using software to assess performance and provide useful information for improved technologies.

The final speaker Jackie Stewart took a different route to her third level education. A variety of work experiences both as employee and founder of a company coupled with her passion for travel abroad eventually brought her back to college as a mature student. Studying alongside her children was a unique experience. Jackie’s undergraduate qualifications gave her a great opportunity to continue her studies to PhD. Her interests for the future are truly inspiring, who would have thought about the possibility of marrying engineering ingenuity with Agriculture and the bog. Watch this space!

Our students thoroughly enjoyed listening to the speakers and learning about the range of possibilities for women in Engineering.  They also appreciate that resilience, ambition and the motivation to keep learning are important qualities in this career area. A sincere thanks to the event organiser Colette Breheny for the invitation to attend this event.

Photo names: From left to right Jackie Stewart, Joanne Fayne, Anna Cornally, Aine Maxwell, Claire McCormack, Rachel O’ Brien, Clodagh Reid and Colette Breheny