Former Head of Engineering at Solihull College & University Centre, Haifa Ross has been named in an inaugural list of the top 50 Women in Engineering, published in the Daily Telegraph for the first time to coincide with National Women in Engineering Day.
The list, compiled by the Telegraph in collaboration with the Women’s Engineering Society, features the UK’s top influential female engineers chosen from almost 900 nominations. Dr Ross said: “I am delighted to be on such a prestigious list”.
The list includes many familiar senior engineers’ names such as Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering; Naomi Climer, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology; and Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, former Chair of the Health and Safety Executive and now Chair of EEF the Manufacturers’ Organisation.
Dr Ross gained her Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1983 from the University of Birmingham (UK); M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Missouri /Columbia, USA 1978, and B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Jordan in 1969. She was awarded the Queen Noor honours award for ‘Pioneer Women in Jordan’.
As well as participating in several national and international conferences, she has also been involved in advanced research including Proton induced X-Ray emission and its applications using Van De Graaf and Dynamitron Accelerators. She has published several research papers in professional international journals, shared good practice and made her voice heard through the National Forum of Engineering Centres (NFEC), helping to shape local and regional priority engineering education.
Dr Ross has also been a consultant to the British Council to promote Engineering Vocational Education in Guangdong province, China. She was also appointed as a Faculty member in the Physics Department at the University of Jordan – a significant step for women in Jordan.
During her 16 year career as the Head of School of Engineering at Solihull College & University Centre, she led the introduction and establishment of the Aerospace Engineering programme and continued to develop the automotive, electronics and manufacturing disciplines. She led the school from strength to strength by nurturing engineering education, skills and promoting excellence in Engineering.
After retiring she is currently working with Soroptimist International to encourage girls to turn their interest in STEM subjects into Engineering and Science career choices.
To find out more about the Engineering courses offered at the College, visit www.solihull.ac.uk or call 0121 678 7000.
