Plan to boost gender equity among engineering academics
The University of Sydney is running a campaign open to international and Australian candidates offering academic roles reserved for women in engineering.
The roles are in the schools of aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering.
About 12 to 17 per cent of continuing academic staff within these schools are women.
But a 2024 Diversity Council Australia report found just 11 per cent of female engineering students qualified and went on to work in an engineering role, while the percentage of those in senior roles was even lower.
Shuying Wu, a senior lecturer in aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering at the University of Sydney, said she had been the only women in the room for many parts of her career.
"There is a lack of female mentors so there can be limited guidance and inspiration," Dr Wu told AAP.
"But when we design engineering projects, if we have more diversity we can solve problems from different angles as diverse teams create more solutions and think about things from different perspectives."
Women had historically been under-represented in Australia's engineering sector, something culture and community associate dean Renae Ryan wants to change at the University of Sydney.
Other universities had run similar campaigns which had successfully improved diversity among academics, she said.
"Increasing diversity is not just about representation, it is also about institutions actively creating opportunities for talent to flourish, develop and grow," Professor Ryan said.
"Having these kinds of identified rounds sends a strong signal that we are really serious about attracting talented women into our faculty and it also increases student interest because it highlights the pipeline for women engineers."
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are wound back in the United States, Prof Ryan expected American researchers and academics to be attracted to the roles.
"There's a lot going on in research and funding in general in the US and there have been significant changes and a lot of people in the higher education sector are under pressure," she said.
"It's something we are conscious of and we would always reach out to the US anyway, but there may be people looking for a change in Australia."
Female academics are being encouraged into engineering roles as part of a bid to boost gender equity and representation in the sector.
The University of Sydney is running a campaign open to international and Australian candidates offering academic roles reserved for women in engineering.
The roles are in the schools of aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering.
About 12 to 17 per cent of continuing academic staff within these schools are women.
But a 2024 Diversity Council Australia report found just 11 per cent of female engineering students qualified and went on to work in an engineering role, while the percentage of those in senior roles was even lower.
Shuying Wu, a senior lecturer in aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering at the University of Sydney, said she had been the only women in the room for many parts of her career.
"There is a lack of female mentors so there can be limited guidance and inspiration," Dr Wu told AAP.
"But when we design engineering projects, if we have more diversity we can solve problems from different angles as diverse teams create more solutions and think about things from different perspectives."
Women had historically been under-represented in Australia's engineering sector, something culture and community associate dean Renae Ryan wants to change at the University of Sydney.
Other universities had run similar campaigns which had successfully improved diversity among academics, she said.
"Increasing diversity is not just about representation, it is also about institutions actively creating opportunities for talent to flourish, develop and grow," Professor Ryan said.
"Having these kinds of identified rounds sends a strong signal that we are really serious about attracting talented women into our faculty and it also increases student interest because it highlights the pipeline for women engineers."
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are wound back in the United States, Prof Ryan expected American researchers and academics to be attracted to the roles.
"There's a lot going on in research and funding in general in the US and there have been significant changes and a lot of people in the higher education sector are under pressure," she said.
"It's something we are conscious of and we would always reach out to the US anyway, but there may be people looking for a change in Australia."
Female academics are being encouraged into engineering roles as part of a bid to boost gender equity and representation in the sector.
The University of Sydney is running a campaign open to international and Australian candidates offering academic roles reserved for women in engineering.
The roles are in the schools of aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering.
About 12 to 17 per cent of continuing academic staff within these schools are women.
But a 2024 Diversity Council Australia report found just 11 per cent of female engineering students qualified and went on to work in an engineering role, while the percentage of those in senior roles was even lower.
Shuying Wu, a senior lecturer in aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering at the University of Sydney, said she had been the only women in the room for many parts of her career.
"There is a lack of female mentors so there can be limited guidance and inspiration," Dr Wu told AAP.
"But when we design engineering projects, if we have more diversity we can solve problems from different angles as diverse teams create more solutions and think about things from different perspectives."
Women had historically been under-represented in Australia's engineering sector, something culture and community associate dean Renae Ryan wants to change at the University of Sydney.
Other universities had run similar campaigns which had successfully improved diversity among academics, she said.
"Increasing diversity is not just about representation, it is also about institutions actively creating opportunities for talent to flourish, develop and grow," Professor Ryan said.
"Having these kinds of identified rounds sends a strong signal that we are really serious about attracting talented women into our faculty and it also increases student interest because it highlights the pipeline for women engineers."
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are wound back in the United States, Prof Ryan expected American researchers and academics to be attracted to the roles.
"There's a lot going on in research and funding in general in the US and there have been significant changes and a lot of people in the higher education sector are under pressure," she said.
"It's something we are conscious of and we would always reach out to the US anyway, but there may be people looking for a change in Australia."
Female academics are being encouraged into engineering roles as part of a bid to boost gender equity and representation in the sector.
The University of Sydney is running a campaign open to international and Australian candidates offering academic roles reserved for women in engineering.
The roles are in the schools of aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering.
About 12 to 17 per cent of continuing academic staff within these schools are women.
But a 2024 Diversity Council Australia report found just 11 per cent of female engineering students qualified and went on to work in an engineering role, while the percentage of those in senior roles was even lower.
Shuying Wu, a senior lecturer in aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering at the University of Sydney, said she had been the only women in the room for many parts of her career.
"There is a lack of female mentors so there can be limited guidance and inspiration," Dr Wu told AAP.
"But when we design engineering projects, if we have more diversity we can solve problems from different angles as diverse teams create more solutions and think about things from different perspectives."
Women had historically been under-represented in Australia's engineering sector, something culture and community associate dean Renae Ryan wants to change at the University of Sydney.
Other universities had run similar campaigns which had successfully improved diversity among academics, she said.
"Increasing diversity is not just about representation, it is also about institutions actively creating opportunities for talent to flourish, develop and grow," Professor Ryan said.
"Having these kinds of identified rounds sends a strong signal that we are really serious about attracting talented women into our faculty and it also increases student interest because it highlights the pipeline for women engineers."
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are wound back in the United States, Prof Ryan expected American researchers and academics to be attracted to the roles.
"There's a lot going on in research and funding in general in the US and there have been significant changes and a lot of people in the higher education sector are under pressure," she said.
"It's something we are conscious of and we would always reach out to the US anyway, but there may be people looking for a change in Australia."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
Brace yourself for ‘giant hail' as storms increase along east coast
Hailstorms will become more frequent in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, and the size of the stones that the storms create will grow in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne as the climate warms over coming years, new modelling shows. With every degree the atmosphere warms, it can hold 7 per cent more moisture, creating more turbulent conditions and increasing the likelihood of damaging hailstorms, said Dr Tim Raupach, author of a paper on projected hail damage in major Australian cities. His modelling compared the historical incidence of hailstorms over the cities, with conditions expected in a scenario where the climate warms by 2.4 degrees by 2080. The result was that while there may be more hailstorms in Brisbane, the chances of 'giant hail' being produced became far higher in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. 'In the historical scenario, Melbourne would be expected to see a 100-millimetre hailstone – 10 centimetres – every 20 years, but in the future scenario, it would be expected to see one every three years,' said Raupach, whose paper was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In Sydney and Canberra, as the atmosphere warmed, the chances of giant hail hitting the cities increased from every three years to every two years. Raupach, a researcher in atmospheric science at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, said the purpose of the study was to compare the two atmospheric eras to explore the potential impact of climate on hail. 'If we had all the computing power in the world, we'd run multiple simulations,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brace yourself for ‘giant hail' as storms increase along east coast
Hailstorms will become more frequent in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, and the size of the stones that the storms create will grow in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne as the climate warms over coming years, new modelling shows. With every degree the atmosphere warms, it can hold 7 per cent more moisture, creating more turbulent conditions and increasing the likelihood of damaging hailstorms, said Dr Tim Raupach, author of a paper on projected hail damage in major Australian cities. His modelling compared the historical incidence of hailstorms over the cities, with conditions expected in a scenario where the climate warms by 2.4 degrees by 2080. The result was that while there may be more hailstorms in Brisbane, the chances of 'giant hail' being produced became far higher in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. 'In the historical scenario, Melbourne would be expected to see a 100-millimetre hailstone – 10 centimetres – every 20 years, but in the future scenario, it would be expected to see one every three years,' said Raupach, whose paper was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In Sydney and Canberra, as the atmosphere warmed, the chances of giant hail hitting the cities increased from every three years to every two years. Raupach, a researcher in atmospheric science at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, said the purpose of the study was to compare the two atmospheric eras to explore the potential impact of climate on hail. 'If we had all the computing power in the world, we'd run multiple simulations,' he said.
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
You don't need to walk 10,000 steps to benefit from its ‘health benefits'
Ten thousand steps per day has been widely recommended as the standard benchmark for physical activity — but a new study suggests that just 7000 could be enough to boost essential health markers. Researchers from the University of Sydney conducted a review of 57 studies spanning more than 10 countries, which tracked participants' steps and health outcomes. Led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the team looked at how different daily step counts impacted the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer, as well as the risk of developing cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression, according to a university press release. And it turns out, you may not need as many steps as was first thought. Researchers found that walking at least 7000 steps a day was linked to improvement in eight major health outcomes, including heart disease, dementia and depressive symptoms. 'Any increase in daily steps, even modest ones like 4000 steps, delivers health benefits compared to very low activity levels,' Ding told Fox News. 'When possible, targeting around 7000 steps per day can substantially reduce risks for many chronic diseases and adverse health outcomes. 'Even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain.' Higher step counts beyond 7000 may add extra benefits, but the improvement rate slows, she noted. The results were published in The Lancet Public Health journal. In particular, the researchers found that walking 7000 steps a day reduced the risk of death by 47 per cent, almost exactly the same as 10000 steps. That same step benchmark was also linked to a 38 per cent reduced risk of dementia and a 22 per cent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, both only slightly lower than the benefit of 10,000 steps, the release stated. 'Significant health improvements' were reported when people increased from 2000 steps per day to anywhere between 5000 and 7000. 'Aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn't been looked at before,' said Professor Ding in the release. 'However, for those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain.' For those who are already very active and consistently hitting 10,000+ steps, Ding said, 'keep it up — there's no need to cut back'. The researchers also noted that stepping doesn't need to happen all at once or require intentional exercise. 'Everyday movements count — like getting off the bus a stop earlier or choosing stairs over elevators,' Ding advised. 'Small, incidental bouts throughout the day add up and contribute to health. Embrace opportunities to move more in practical, enjoyable ways.' There were some limitations in the study, the researchers noted. 'For some outcomes, we have a small number of studies,' Ding told Fox News. There are also some study-level biases, she said. 'For example, people who are already unwell will take fewer steps because of their health conditions,' Ding said. 'And while there is an indication that the dose-response may be different for older adults, we didn't have enough data for all outcomes to explore it.' It's also important to note that while walking offers great health benefits, it is not a complete 'package' in itself, she noted. 'Everyday movements count — like getting off the bus a stop earlier or choosing stairs over elevators,' Ding said. 'Try to also incorporate strength training and mobility exercise into a weekly routine for more complete health benefits.' In next steps, the researchers plan to use these findings to shape future physical activity guidelines.
