Mimi Nwosu is one of 46 engineers included in the new book
A new book to inspire the next generation of engineers, which is being sent to every state secondary school in the UK, features a University of Portsmouth civil engineering graduate.
Mimi Nwosu is one of 46 engineers included in the book ‘Engineers Making a Difference: Inventors, Technicians, Scientists and Tech Entrepreneurs Changing the World, and How You Can Join Them’, which was written to inspire teenagers to consider engineering as a career.
Portsmouth graduate Mimi now works as a civil engineer for Heathrow Airport. She said: “It’s a massive honour to be one of the engineers profiled in this book. I hope all the young people reading it will be inspired by the various careers in engineering and encouraged to think big and explore innovative and creative ways to change the world.
“Engineers play such a vital role in society in many industries and it’s great that this book will show the breadth, depth and diversity of an engineering career. The role of an engineer can be misunderstood, so we need to find more ways of sharing the work that engineers do, and this book is a great way to communicate that to young audiences.”
The book, authored by Dr Shini Somara and supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, is a collaboration between Imperial College London and What on Earth Publishing. It is aimed at 12-15-year-olds in secondary school who are considering their future educational and career choices. Schools in the UK will receive a free kit containing two copies of the book, a teacher’s guide, 12 hot topic posters, and a four-metre long timeline wall chart.
Mimi said: “The book is important because the world is constantly changing and the demands for better technologies, resilient materials and infrastructure, healthcare, food shortages, climate change etc. are increasing and we need more young people to understand how engineering can help solve all of the world’s problems.
“There is a misconception that engineers are outside all day, wearing hard hats, running calculations and getting dirty! Whilst it can be all these things, there are also other wonderful and exciting roles in engineering that are explored throughout the book that break down these misconceptions.
“Engineering is all around us and anyone - irrespective of your age, sex, gender, race, religion and your physical and learning abilities - can become an engineer.”
Mimi graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a degree in Civil Engineering in 2018. She was named one of the ‘Top 50 Women in Engineering in the UK 2021’ and won the Rising Star Award at the Institute of Civil Engineers London civil engineering awards.
She added: “I would like to thank the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying for all their support and guidance, during and post university, without them I wouldn’t be the passionate engineer I am today!”
The book is available to purchase here.