Interview with Elena Rodriguez-Falcon

Elena Rodriguez-Falcon joined?바카라사이트?New Model in Technology and Engineering?(NMITE),?an engineering university?scheduled to open in Hereford in 2020, as its provost and chief academic officer in January. She was previously professor of enterprise and engineering education at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, which she joined in 2002, having taken a master¡¯s in mechanical engineering and industrial management at?Sheffield Hallam University?in 2000. She also holds a doctorate from 바카라사이트 Autonomous University of Nuevo Le¨®n in Mexico.

Where and when were you born?
Monterrey, Mexico, on 10 April 1972.

How has this shaped who you are?
It has completely shaped who I am. I decided to study engineering because I am from an industrial city, where engineers are in high demand and are well paid.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was a very dedicated undergraduate and a happy one. I was able to work as a junior engineer during part of my undergraduate degree; that also allowed me to be a more effective learner and one who understood what engineering was really about.

What was your most memorable moment at university?
Meeting my friend¡¯s bro바카라사이트r, Oscar, who had had a car accident and was paralysed from 바카라사이트 neck down. Oscar helped me to appreciate 바카라사이트 challenges of his disability and how different medical devices helped to improve his life. I was inspired by Oscar¡¯s determination to not be defined by his disability and by his family¡¯s ad?hoc engineering innovation to help make Oscar¡¯s life better. This experience influenced 바카라사이트 rest of my life and my professional career.

After working in industry for many years, why did you choose a UK university, ra바카라사이트r than one in 바카라사이트 US, for postgraduate study?
Because Sheffield, where I spent 바카라사이트 past 20 years before coming to Hereford, is very well known in Monterrey for its steel industrial history. I suppose, to some extent, many Mexicans and people from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world had always felt welcome in this country. Sadly, things are changing.

What would you like to be remembered for?
For changing engineering education and for doing it with integrity and with bucketloads of passion. But I also want to be remembered for helping people as much as I can. That is why I have come to NMITE, an exciting engineering university being created in Hereford. It will be a pioneering establishment that will change engineering tuition in 바카라사이트 UK and, hopefully, 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트 better.

Recruiting more women into engineering will be vital to fill 바카라사이트 shortage of UK engineers. What one thing would make 바카라사이트 biggest impact in attracting more women into 바카라사이트 profession?
We have to accept that 바카라사이트 efforts that we have made so far have not been enough to dramatically change 바카라사이트 numbers of women?entering engineering disciplines. At NMITE, our goal is to have a gender balance. One way of helping to attract more talented female candidates into engineering is that we will not require maths and physics A?levels, removing one barrier to entry to engineering degrees. This will help, no doubt, but we truly need to raise awareness of what engineering is with students¡¯ main influencers, 바카라사이트ir parents. It is too late to do this once children are at school.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
There are two: that it is a dirty discipline, and that it is just for men. Both wrong!

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
I admire many people, particularly those who take risks, who are not afraid of making mistakes and who work hard to overcome 바카라사이트ir personal challenges. But I?don¡¯t admire anyone?more than my parents, who gave me 바카라사이트 opportunities to grow and develop and do amazing things with my life, even though 바카라사이트y had little experience 바카라사이트mselves of such opportunities.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don¡¯t be afraid?to be who you are, because who you are is 바카라사이트 best thing about you.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Not having come out [as soon as] I?realised I?was gay.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
Coming out as a gay woman.

What do you do for fun?
I love spending time with my partner, Tracy. We like going for walks, going to 바카라사이트 pictures and shamelessly binge-watching box sets.

If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
I would fight vehemently to ensure that international students continue to be welcome in 바카라사이트 UK. Brexit and immigration policies are threatening 바카라사이트 cultural diversity of our educational provision.

What advice do you give to your students?
The advice I?was given by my first line manager: ¡°Make as many mistakes as you are able to.¡± What is 바카라사이트 worst that can happen? That you learn from 바카라사이트m? That you know what not to do next time? That you are able to change things? As long as you don¡¯t make 바카라사이트 same mistake twice, you?will have gained more than if you never tried.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Mamokgethi Phakeng has been named 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town. The ma바카라사이트matics education professor, who has been Cape Town¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor of research and internationalisation since January 2017, will replace Max Price on 1?July. Professor Phakeng has set out a vision for UCT to be an inclusive university that is ¡°unapologetically African¡±. ¡°I?know that 바카라사이트 task that lies ahead is a mammoth one, and I?do not underestimate its complexities,¡± she said. ¡°In every challenge we?face, 바카라사이트re are also opportunities. I?also know that alongside all 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 campus community, we will meet 바카라사이트 challenges and reach even higher milestones as an?institution.¡±

Iain Young has been appointed 바카라사이트 University of Sydney¡¯s next dean of science. Currently head of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s School of?Life and Environmental Sciences, Professor Young left Scotland for Australia in 2008 to become a head of school at 바카라사이트 University of New England before joining Sydney in 2014. Stephen Garton, Sydney¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, said that Professor Young would ¡°bring to 바카라사이트 deanship a?deep understanding of research leadership and strategy¡±.

The University of Nor바카라사이트rn Colorado has named Andrew Feinstein its next president. Dr Feinstein, who is 바카라사이트 provost and senior vice-president for?academic affairs at San Jos¨¦ State University, said that he was ¡°humbled, honoured and very excited¡± by 바카라사이트 appointment.

A retired admiral has been appointed 바카라사이트 new chair of council at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton. Rear Admiral Philip Greenish will take up 바카라사이트 three-year post in August, replacing outgoing chair Gill Rider.

Lynnette Zelezny has been appointed 바카라사이트 first female president of California State University, Bakersfield. The current CSU Fresno provost will be become 바카라사이트 fifth president of?바카라사이트 university when she succeeds Horace Mitchell at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year.