Associate Director at AECOM, Roma Agrawal, has received a prestigious award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for her outstanding efforts to promote careers in the industry.

‘The Rooke Award’, honours people who have brought engineering to life for the public and have solicited a great deal of interest in the profession.

Building a career in construction

With a degree in physics from the University of Oxford, Roma also holds an MSc in structural engineering from the Imperial College London which led her on the path to her current career in construction.

As a chartered structural engineer, Roma has managed to combine her full time role as an associate director at AECOM with broadcasting and promotional work. Her experience ranges from designing the ‘cool steel’ atop the Shard in London to acting as a style ambassador for the well loved retailer Marks & Spencer.

New book exploring construction industry

With a book due to be published next year - ‘BUILT: The hidden stories behind our structures’ is Roma’s exploration of construction through the ages and how it has evolved from simple mud huts all the way to the sky scapers that are built today. The publication will also tell vivid tales of the people who created the groundbreaking materials used to build the Pantheon and the Eiffel Tower; and explain how and why the Quebec Bridge collapsed.

“Our modern world depends literally on engineering, we would have no homes, phones, cars, robots or satellites without it, it is an intrinsic part of our lives. I love working with people but I also love the technical challenge – and it’s vital that we don’t lose amazing talent in the future, simply because people are not aware that they too could become engineers,” she says.

Agrawal's achievements held in high regard

Appraising Agrawal’s achievements, previous Rooke trophy winner Professor Mark Miodownik said:

“Many engineers are committed to changing how school children view a career in engineering, but few are as effective as Roma Agrawal. The impact of her work was most potently demonstrated on the 20th June 2016 when students from the Arc Chamberlain inner-city academy in Birmingham voted to have their new building named after Roma. It is now the Agrawal Building - a lasting legacy from years of speaking with children and families from different backgrounds about her work as a structural engineer.”

Roma will receive her award at the Academy Awards Dinner in London on Thursday 29 June. Roma Agrawal will then give the Academy’s Autumn Lecture, in conversation with Professor Mark Miodownik, on Wednesday 4 October 2017.

Read about further women from AECOM, and their work and views. And if you're looking for a thriving career with AECOM, you can research these current vacancies.

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