The incoming Women In Engineering President for 2012 Lilly Sanderson is brimming over with enthusiasm. Read on…

Women In Engineering (WIE) is an Incorporated Society of the University of Canterbury aimed at raising the profile of female engineers and providing members with support through education and social events throughout the academic year. Each year the club has a student and staff base of around 200 members, including females and males, with the potential to grow in size and in popularity.

Lilly’s involvement with WIE began in her first professional year studying Civil Engineering at Canterbury when she decided to take on a leadership role within the University and applied for the role of ‘First Pro Rep’ on the committee of ten female engineers responsible for running events with help and support from the UCSA, the College of Engineering, and their sponsors.

In 2011, Lilly became the club secretary and was voted in as 2012 president the following year.

“Females are underrepresented in nearly all Engineering disciplines at Canterbury University,” says Lilly and she hopes to play a role in encouraging more to choose engineering as a career as well as supporting those already studying.

As President in 2012, she aims to boost the membership base, raise the profile of the club, and establish bonds with organisations in New Zealand with similar goals to strengthen our society.

The committee is currently in discussion about creating a new event targeting year 13 students and providing them with an opportunity to find out more about studying engineering at a tertiary level.

WIE is a non-profit society and relies heavily on sponsorship and in-kind donations from companies to run events. Each year WIE hosts at least three Company Speaker Evenings and an Industry Connections Evening. These events provide an opportunity for students to meet with company representatives in a relaxed environment and learn more about graduate positions.

WIE is currently in the process of seeking sponsors, if you are interested or would like to find out more please contact Lilly on wie.president@gmail.com or check out their website www.wie.org.nz.

WIE is a good example of professional women pushing forward with their endeavours.