Celebrating curiosity: A conversation with Professor Danielle George, CBE
Summary
Professor George’s innate inquisitiveness, a hallmark of her childhood, was nurtured not in an environment steeped in academia or engineering but in a household that valued discovery and learning. So, we are losing out as an entire race if we dont become more inclusive.” It is her commitment to changing these statistics, matched by her understanding of the impact that inclusive engineering teams can have on solving global challenges, and her knowledge that you don’t need to come from an engineering background to succeed – you just need to carry the ‘why’ and ‘how’ in all that you do – that make Professor George a vital role model for women and young girls considering a career in STEM. Given her encouraging parental background, it is no surprise that Professor George also advocates for embedding engineering principles in primary education, not as an additional burden on teachers, but as a seamless integration into existing curricula which aims to lay the groundwork for a more diverse future in STEM. Do I let this fester and eat away at me, or can I think of a different way?” Deciding to think of a different way, the next time she wasn’t addressed about her technical knowledge, her approach was to engage directly with this person, open up the dialogue, and challenge the stereotypical behaviour. Professor Danielle Georges story is more than just one of personal success – its a call to action for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to work together to make engineering a field that truly reflects the diversity of the world it aims to serve.