Discussion: the future of diversity in engineering

Shayma Fleet

Graduating in 2021 with an MEng in Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester, Shayma joined the graduate programme with the structures team at Kier Highways Design Services. She is currently working to deliver design solutions for road renewal schemes under the Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF) Design Services Super Region North contract, part of the National Highways’ £3.6b SDF, to renew the motorways and trunk roads across the UK.

Nushma Juwaheer

Nushma Juwaheer is the current ICE North West chair and a senior structural engineer at Mott MacDonald.

Nushma has been a member of the ICE for over a decade and has previously held several active committee roles alongside volunteering as a STEM ambassador.

Passionate about diversity and promoting civil and structural engineering to children and young adults, Nushma was a UK Construction Week (UKCW) 2019 Role Model and is currently an Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Young Members Panel member.

Lanz Sarmiento

Born in the Philippines and raised in the UK, Lanz grew up and studied his GCSEs and A Levels in Coventry and then graduated in 2021 with an MEng in Civil and Structural Engineering from the University of Manchester. He is currently working as a graduate structural engineer working in the cities and places - buildings team at the Jacobs Manchester office. Since joining the graduate programme, he has worked on several projects designing, modelling, and analysing structures for building projects.

Jenny Smith

Jenny is the technical excellence lead and sits on the executive team for the buildings and cities business in Mott MacDonald. She has over 15 years’ experience in the industry both within and outside the UK. She would describe herself as having a ‘squiggly’ or unconventional career which led to her pursuing chartership through the career appraisal route rather than by training under agreement. She works part time and sits on the PWI Climate Resilience Committee, having been a member of both the PWI and ICE for over 10 years.