Design & Engineering - Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity

Design & Engineering Inclusivity Committee:

• Dr Roya Haratian, Principal Academic in Electronic Science and Engineering: [email protected]
• Dr Diogo Montalvao, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Department, Design & Engineering: [email protected]
• Dr Yong Hun Lim, Deputy Head of Department, Design & Engineering (interim): [email protected]
• Dr Yi Huang, Principal Academic in Engineering: [email protected]
• Dr Mihai Dupac, Principal Academic in Engineering Design: [email protected]

The Design & Engineering Inclusivity Committee is committed to maintaining a broad, inclusive and representative committee.  

We are seeking expressions of interest from students to represent their respective programmes as committee members. 

If you are interested in joining as a student or staff committee member, or would like to know more about what we do, please contact Dr Roya Haratian: [email protected]

The AdvanceHE Equality, Diversity and Inclusion conference 2023 was held on 15-16 March 2023 in Hull and our department was invited in recognition of our successful Athena SWAN Bronze application, which was awarded in November 2021. It was great opportunity to network and learn from shared experiences in addressing inclusivity within academia (for more info, please contact [email protected]).

You can view our Athena SWAN application here.

Celebrating Women in STEM at the Festival of Design and Engineering

Friday 21 June 2024 — The Design and Engineering department proudly hosted our second Women in STEM networking event during the annual Festival of Design and Engineering. This special gathering was organised to celebrate and recognise the remarkable contributions of our female students and staff within the department and it also coincides with the International Women in Engineering Day.

The event started with a brief but inspiring presentation by Dr. Roya Haratian, Deputy Head of Department. Dr. Haratian highlighted the history and significance of International Women in Engineering Day and outlined the department's ongoing efforts to promote inclusion, representation, progression, and success for all.

Following the presentation, Dr. Sarah Palmer-Smith, Industrial Placement Academic Advisor, facilitated a dynamic panel discussion featuring female students with industrial experience. The panelists shared their insights on the opportunities and challenges they encountered during their placements and professional work in the industry.

We were also pleased to welcome Ms. Joanne Redmile, recipient of the Innovate UK Women in Innovation award, for an engaging talk on her journey as a Woman in STEM, offering valuable experiences and lessons learned to our students. 

Dr Diogo Montalvão, Jo Redmile & Dr Roya Haratian

The event concluded with a networking session over lunch, providing attendees the chance to connect and exchange ideas. During this time, the department proudly recognised Ms. Maddy Santos-Lopes, a final-year Design Engineering graduate, as this year’s Women in STEM award winner as part of the Festival of Design and Engineering.

Dr Roya Haratian, who has organised the event, told us: "This successful event underscored the department's commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for women in STEM, celebrating the achievements of our students and staff, and encouraging future generations of female engineers and designers"

You can find out more about our Women in STEM Networking event as part of The Festival of Design & Engineering: BU Students celebrate International Women in Engineering Day.