Jo Carris

Female sustainability consultant wins award for contribution to major construction projects

15 November 2013

Jo Carris, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Useful Simple Projects, has won a national WISE award for showing potential to become a leader in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Jo was presented with the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Excellence award at a glittering award ceremony at the Science Museum, London, last night (Nov 14) by HRH The Princess Royal.

Sponsored by Thales, the Excellence award was given to Jo for her contribution to the big challenges society faces from waste, pollution, and over-use of raw materials.

In her six year career, Jo has rapidly developed into a well-respected professional. Sponsored by Thales, the Excellence award was given to Jo because of her personal contribution to sustainability on major construction projects including London 2012, Rio Olympics and the Brazilian World Cup, as well as her commitment to raising awareness of opportunities to work in sustainable design and construction.

An active STEM Ambassador, she is passionate about inspiring the next generation and will be using her £1000 cash prize from the WISE Excellence award to fund a workshop on sustainability careers for talented girls taking STEM subjects at AS Level.

“Sustainable design and construction crosses science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but it is not a profession that school students or careers advisors know much about”, Jo explained.

After receiving her award from HRH The Princess Royal, Jo said “I have always enjoyed STEM subjects and was encouraged by my family and mentors, so I now want to encourage more young women to look at science and engineering as first choice career options.”