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#INWED21

ENGINEERING HEROES

As part of this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, stayed up all night to commission the
the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) has announced its back-up power supply to the impressive
new building.
Top 50 Women in Engineering list, including one of our very She then worked in aviation,
own members. The annual #INWED21 celebration showcases supporting the commissioning and
the “the best, brightest, bravest women in engineering, who operational readiness of Terminal 2 at
Heathrow Airport, also known as the
recognise a problem, then dare to be part of the solution” Queen’s Terminal.
After this, keen to move to the
managing a 15,000+ mile underground West Midlands to be closer to her
gas distribution network, running from family, she found a position as
North Staffordshire to Herefordshire Head of Innovation at Cadent. This
and from the M1 to the Welsh border. enabled her to apply her passion for
“I’m thrilled and honoured to be sustainability to help transition the
among such company,” said Kate. gas industry away from fossil gas into
“There can be no better feeling than a ‘net zero’ era, using hydrogen.
being acknowledged by your peers for Kate’s chance meeting at a
doing something you really care about conference with a very like-minded
and love doing.” Keele University colleague led to what
The head of Cadent’s Eastern Network has now become the first UK trial of
Investment Planning Office, Monisha injecting hydrogen into an existing
Gower, was among a further 50 women gas network, the 130 buildings on the
named in a highly commended list. Staffordshire campus.
Kate’s journey to her current home This project, called HyDeploy, has
near Leamington Spa began in South become a blueprint for a wide roll-
Africa, where she spent the first 25 out of hydrogen to help heat homes
years of her life. Her passion for across the UK, which will stop millions
engineering and shaping the world of tonnes of carbon polluting the
around us has its roots in her first job, atmosphere.
as part of a team building a power Kate, 38, was appointed Network
KATIE GRANT station on the coast near Cape Town. Director for Cadent’s West Midlands
“Every day I was working next to a Network last year. A STEM ambassador,
IGEM CHARTERED MEMBER Kate beautiful beach. I realised then that, as she has two pieces of advice for
Grant, Director of West Midlands engineers, we have a responsibility to anyone thinking about a career in
Network at Cadent, has been act in a conscious way to protect our science, technology, engineering or
named one of the Top 50 Women environment. We are at the interface mathematics: “Achieving anything in
in Engineering by the Women’s between science and nature. It was my life is not done independently; it is so
Engineering Society (WES). lightbulb moment and something that’s important to surround yourself with
IGEM is delighted to share the winners driven me to this day.” a network of support – family, friends,
of the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Kate completed a Master’s work colleagues. You also need to
Engineering Heroes awards. Now in in Engineering for Sustainable learn flexibility and resilience – our
its sixth year, the 2021 WE50, judged Development at Cambridge – the third profession is continually evolving,
by a panel of leading industry experts, generation of her family to study at and you need to keep broadening your
celebrates women who have made a the same college, following in the knowledge, so that you’re ready for
significant contribution to helping their footsteps of her grandfather, a lawyer, what’s coming next.”
organisation, community or indeed the and her father, a doctor. Her thesis Head Judge, Professor Catherine
world functioning during the last year. focused on decarbonising the energy Noakes said of the WES50 awards:
Even in the current climate, the sector in South Africa. “2020 was a year unlike any other and
number and standard of nominations As an electrical research engineer, remarkable times call for remarkable
was high, emphasising the she designed and delivered one of people. That is why, in 2021, the Top
exceptional achievements made by the first customer-led electric vehicle 50 Women in Engineering Awards
women in this field. charging trials in the UK. Kate worked celebrate the engineering heroes who
West Midlands Director Kate, a on the construction and maintenance have responded to the challenges of an
champion of renewable technologies of venues during the Olympic Games ever-changing world, from healthcare
and finding solutions to the climate in London, managing to watch Team and climate change to infrastructure
change crisis, leads the Cadent team GB win gold in the velodrome having and championing diversity, with

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