AECOM's Dr Jennifer Glover, Graduate Acoustic Consultant, is recognized among the Top 50 Women in Engineering by the Women's Engineering Society (WES).

WES announced the winners of its Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) Awards and offered its congratulations to all winners. The WE50 awards celebrate women who demonstrate the creation or improvement of a product or process that makes a difference.

The work of AECOM's Dr Jennifer Glover highlighted

"I am very excited and grateful to be amongst the WE50 inventors and innovators. I have always admired the WE50 of International Women in Engineering Day and delighted to read about so many fantastic female role models," commented Jennifer.

During Jennifer's PhD, she researched and developed a jet engine noise control solution which used innovative metamaterial design to reduce low frequency engine noise at take-off and landing. She has transferred those skills to industry, working in AECOM’s highways and rail acoustics teams making national infrastructure projects, such as HS2 and the M54-M6 link, acoustically sustainable.

"I am delighted to be one of the WE50 for this year as an innovator and inventor, and this is in recognition of my work as part of my acoustics PhD, taking that knowledge into industry and also the work I do as an advocate for women in engineering, being a volunteer for the Women's Engineering Society, but also within my work at AECOM, trying to promote women and getting more recognition for what we do," said Jennifer.

"As an Acoustic Consultant, my job is to look mostly at major infrastructure for railways and highways, focusing on noise control and mitigations to make sure that we minimize the impact of the updates that we need within our national infrastructure on the residents, so that they see it as a positive project, and we are maintaining a sense of community and a community of health," Jennifer explained.

Celebrating woman in engineering

In association with The Guardian and global supplier of sustainable packaging, Ball Corporation, the Women’s Engineering Society invited nominations across numerous areas including an ability to support and combat climate change, work as an advocate for women in STEM, demonstrate drive to make a difference within the engineering industry, and evidence of achieving beyond what would normally be expected.

The Women in Engineering Awards showcase the diverse range of skills and talent displayed by female engineers, from building suspension bridges and overseeing multimillion-pound technology projects to setting up the Girls with Drills campaign, a movement that supports and promotes females in the engineering industry.

The number and standard of nominations were high, emphasising the exceptional achievements made by women in the engineering field. Women engineers are applying themselves to sustainability and creating a built environment that is kinder to the natural world. They are working hard to combat global CO2 emissions by creating products that monitor, capture and reduce carbon emissions, as well as developing energy solutions to decarbonise entire countries. At the heart of many of the projects featured are those aspects that help us be more eco-friendly, whether it be infrastructure, transport systems and all types of equipment that help us to be more sustainable.

Women make up around 16.5 per cent of all engineers currently. The number of women working in engineering occupations across the UK has risen from 721,586 in 2016 to 936,000 in 2021, according to a report by Engineering UK, published in 2022.

United by sustainability

While each engineer in the Top 50 list is unique, one recurring theme that unites many of the entrants is the focus on sustainability and the environment. Female engineers and the organisations they work for, from startups to construction giants, are becoming increasingly aware of the impact the engineering sector has on the environment. The built environment alone apparently generates nearly 40 per cent of annual global CO2 emissions, while building materials and construction are said to be responsible for an additional 11 per cent annually.

Female engineers are working hard to combat this through helping to create products that monitor, capture and reduce carbon emissions, and are also developing energy solutions to decarbonise entire countries. From developing more eco-friendly infrastructures, transport systems and equipment, at the heart of many of the projects featured in this year’s list is a focus on sustainability and the environment. 

“Once again, the Women’s Engineering Society is delighted to celebrate the achievements of women engineers,” said Elizabeth Donnelly, the society’s Chief Executive. “It’s a joy that so many innovative women are making a difference to our everyday lives and working to mitigate the impact that engineering has on the environment.”

Tackling poverty was also a priority for female engineers, with many of the projects ranging from building social housing to suspension bridges in developing countries so that people can more readily access education, employment and healthcare.

“As a company that is taking huge strides in creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, we couldn’t be more proud of sponsoring the UK’s top 50 women engineers, as we understand the impact these amazing women make on the world we live and work in,” says Lauren Touré, Ball Corporation's Diversity and Inclusion Manager.

If the future is in the hands of the women engineers on this list, it’s looking very hopeful.

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