WISE Awards 2012

The 2012 WISE Awards in association with Amey, is a celebration of the considerable female talent that we, the UK, have in science, engineering, technology and the built environment

Congratulations to our eight winners who have all made a significant difference to the success and contribution of technology, science, engineering and the built environment - sectors that are critical to the UK’s economic growth potential. We applaud their achievements. 

In four award categories, the judges decided to Award commendations to a nominee who they felt also deserved recognition for the outstanding work that they do.

The Guardian features a striking slideshow of the four 2012 Women of Outstanding Achievement winners on their website

Read the inspiring speech given by Christina Jackson, Technical Director at Amey - our headline sponsor for the 2012 WISE Awards

Download the 2012 WISE Awards booklet (PDF)

The Winners

CEO Charter Champion 

SPONSORED BY EADS

Winner: Nick Langdon, Card Geotechnics Ltd

Watch the video

The WISE Advisor Award

SPONSORED BY ARUP

Winner: Helen Heggie, STEMFirst Ltd

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Highly Commended: Sonya Chan, Robogals

WISE Diversity Award 

SPONSORED BY INTEL CORPORATION

Winner: Dr Gordon Mizner, Engineering Development Trust

Watch the video

Highly Commended: ARUP
Arup are commended for corporate leadership of the diversity agenda. The judges were impressed by the systematic approach taken within the company, led by the board, with clear measures of progress made.

WISE Excellence Award 

SPONSORED BY THALES

Winner: Jia-Yan-Gu, BT

Watch the video

Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

SPONSORED BY ImechE

Winner: Fiona Marshall, Heptares Therapeutics Ltd

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Highly Commended: Naomi Chayen
Naomi is commended for breakthrough research into crystallisation. She has secured a patent for a product named after her, Naomi’s Nucleant, attracting worldwide interest from industry as well as academia.

Leadership and Inspiration 

SPONSORED BY THE BBC

Winner: Angela Brady, Royal Institute of British Architects

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Communication and Outreach 

SPONSORED BY STFC

Winner: Maggie Philbin, TeenTech and BBC Reporter

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Highly Commended: Lorelly Wilson
Lorelly is commended for her creative approach to getting people excited about science, particularly chemistry. As well as going into schools, she takes the message into pubs and to other groups such as the Women’s Institute.

Lifetime Achievement Award 

SPONSORED BY MICROSOFT

Winner: Belinda Swain, Rolls Royce

Watch the video

Highly Commended: Dr Sally Montgomery
Dr Sally Montgomery is commended a lifelong commitment to science communication, as founder and former director of W5, an interactive discovery centre in Northern Ireland which attracted a quarter of million visitors last year.

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"I would like to congratulate the winners and all those shortlisted; to thank our sponsors and to everyone who supports the WISE campaign as role models, champions and corporate partners. If we harness the energy and passion of everyone in this room today, we can and will make significant progress towards a vision that will benefit all stakeholders in the UK – a tipping point of 30% of the UK STEM workforce being female."

Trudy Norris-Grey, Chair of WISE

With special thanks to the sponsors of the 2012 WISE Awards: