Yorkshire based engineer Selina Rai competed alongside three finalists to win the international final of the annual Emerging Engineers Award organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The UK based Nepali engineer impressed the panel virtually with her presentation on the effect of staggered openings on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete shear walls. Rai currently works as a structural engineer for Arup.
Due to the pandemic the finalists presented their research virtually, opening the event to friends and family globally. The ICE Emerging Engineers Award is a space aimed for students and graduates to encourage and acknowledge civil engineering innovations, insight and practices.
Selina who has won a £1,500 cash prize and an Institution Medal shared “The ICE Emerging Engineers Award has been an excellent opportunity to develop my written communication and presentation skills – soft skills that are essential for engineers. I honed my ability to deliver technical information in an engaging and as simple a way as possible for a wide range of audiences. It’s also been a great confidence booster as I continue to work on my public speaking skills.”
Rai went onto add “On a personal level, another outcome that has been a happy coincidence from winning this award has been the heartening messages from young female students studying engineering and other Nepali engineers. I am a firm believer that representation matters and regularly do outreach activities as a STEM Ambassador to promote diversity in engineering. I hope that seeing a young woman in engineering achieve success in her field with this award will inspire other young people – especially girls and students from an ethnic minority background – to also pursue a career in engineering.”
To keep up with Selina and learn more about her journey – connect with her on Instagram @selinatheengineer.
