MEng Mechanical Engineering student Caitlin Sands has been awarded an Engineering Leaders Scholarship (ELS) 2022 from the Royal Academy of Engineering. The award is one of only 44 given out across the UK this year. Caitlin is a member of the School’s Engineering Leadership Programme, volunteers as a PAL peer mentor in SMAE and is an active member of the QUB Robotics Society.

The ELS programme aims to help ambitious and inspiring undergraduates in engineering and related disciplines, who want to become leadership role models for the next generation of engineers, to undertake an accelerated personal development programme.

Caitlin explains the initial application process allowed her to discuss key factors influencing engineering today and how they will affect our future. The interview posed an opportunity to talk about her passion for engineering and plans for the future, with experts in their fields, who made the process very enjoyable.

Recipients will get the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to fulfil their potential, helping them to move into engineering leadership positions in UK industry soon after graduation.

All Scholars receive £5,000 to be used towards career personal development activities.

Caitlin hopes to enhance her leadership and communication skills further through the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme and she wishes to highlight the opportunities for women in STEM through a workshop programme that she intends to implement. Caitlin hopes to utilise the award to investigate the pressing climate change issues, including travelling  to COP28 in Dubai 2023. 

This year’s award builds on previous successes for Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering students from Queen’s who have won between one and seven awards every year since first participating in the ELS programme in 2012.  Many of these were supported through the School’s Engineering Leadership Programme.

Applications for 2023 are now open! For more information on the Royal Academy Engineering Leaders Scholarship click here

Further details on the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Leadership programme can be found here