Chemical engineer wins top Women’s Engineering Society award
Published: 29 November, 2017
Madeleine Jones, a Chartered Chemical Engineer currently working at Sellafield, has been presented with the Karen Burt Award for her work advocating the profession. She was nominated by her professional body, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
The annual award is presented by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to a top Chartered Engineer or Chartered Physicist.
Jones is currently responsible for three nuclear facilities as deputy operations manager, Legacy Ponds & Silos. She has been with Sellafield for seven years, with extensive experience in a number of chemical engineering specialisms, including crisis management and emergency planning support. Her current work is on Sellafield’s new solid waste management facility, delivering critical emergency response solutions across 220 nuclear sites.
The judging panel was particularly impressed by her work inspiring the next generation of chemical engineers. She was student ambassador promoting engineering to primary and secondary school children, and currently sits on the Aston University Industry Advisory Board, and mentors new engineering graduates at Sellafield. As well as this, Madeleine, has undertaken a significant project, implementing improvements to the Magnox Sludge Packaging facility.
She was also commended for her active volunteer roles for IChemE, including Student Representative on the Midlands Member Group Committee, and Webmaster for IChemE’s North West Member Group Committee.
In 2015, Madeleine provided project support to help promote engineering and the nuclear industry as part of the BBC4 documentary: Britain’s Nuclear Secrets: Inside Sellafield.
Kirsten Bodley, CEO of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) said: “WES supports women to reach their potential in engineering and succeed at all stages of their careers. Through the Karen Burt Award we recognise the achievements of an exceptional early-stage career female engineer and highlight the need to continue to promote engineering as an inspiring career open to all. My congratulations to Madeleine – her contributions to the profession are outstanding.”
The Karen Burt Award was established to draw attention to Chartered Engineer Status and to encourage more women to aim to become Chartered as early in their career as possible.
