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UEL academic recognised as ‘woman of outstanding achievement’

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Phebe Mann

University of East London senior lecturer Phebe Mann has won the ‘Tomorrow’s Leader’ category at the UKRC Woman of Outstanding Achievement awards.

Phebe, who is a senior lecturer in Highway and Transportation Engineering at UEL, is recognised as a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng MICE), Chartered Surveyor (MRICS), Chartered Builder (MCIOB), Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and European Engineer (Eur Ing). She is the first ever women to hold these professional qualifications concurrently in the UK.

She has also received numerous awards previously; she was a scholar of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Award, won the Royal Academy of Engineering Award and the Institution of Civil Engineers Queen’s Jubilee QUEST Award for her postgraduate studies, among many others.

The UKRC is a government organisation set up to provide advice, services and policy consultation regarding the under-representation of women in science, engineering, technology and the built environment (SET), while the awards are intended to showcase women of achievement and leadership, and increase the visibility of inspirational female role models in these fields.

Phebe feels that her most rewarding achievement, however, is to support students who have to overcome great difficulties in order to be successful in civil engineering and feels that her achievements have helped to remove the invisible barriers of precluding women to achieve in engineering, industry and commerce.

She said: I am deeply humbled and greatly honoured to be named as a Woman of Outstanding Achievement. I hope that this achievement can inspire young people to be proud of becoming an engineer, engineering a better world, creating a sustainable future, and making a difference."

Not content to rest on her laurels, Phebe is currently working with UEL colleagues to develop an innovative new Post Graduate programme in Highways and Transportation, which is expected to run from 2012.

The University of East London has recently signed the Athena Swan Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in science, engineering and technology (SET) in higher education and research.UEL also aims to be the number one university in Europe for women’s entrepreneurship by the end of the decade.

Phebe will receive her accolade at a special ceremony to be held on the 5 May at the Royal Academy of Engineering in central London

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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