Meet Our Women in Engineering Interns
Today is International Women in Engineering Day, so let us introduce you to the UCL Mechanical Engineering students joining us with Sekhmet Racing this summer
As you probably know by now, we’ve teamed up with Sekhmet Racing in the inaugural Women’s World Circuit Racing Championship to bring six UCL Racing | Mechanical Engineering female students into the pit box for a unique intern experience that we’ll be covering as part go a new documentary film focusing on women in engineering, presented by Dr Suze Kundu.
You can read more about that here if you missed the announcement.
Well given today is International Women in Engineering Day we wanted to introduce you to the six brilliant students who will be part of this programme.
Just before we get to that though, the first round of the World WCR kicked off in Misano, San Marino last weekend and it was very exciting to see the Sekmet Racing Yamahas out on track and carrying the Cosmic Shambles logo with them no less!
It was a chaotic weekend that saw multiple red flags and we’d like to extend all our well wishes to Mia Rusthen and her family for a full and speedy recovery after her crash. At the end of the weekend though, Sekhmet rider, and engineer herself, Mallory Dobbs, became the first ever American woman to score a motorcycle road racing championship point coming home in 15th in race 2. Bravo Mal!
Now, onto the interns!
We thought we’d let them introduce themselves.
‘My name is Bella Shepard, 22, current Team Manager of the UCLR Formula Student Team, soon-to-be Graduate Engineer at McLaren F1 team and proud Girls on Track member. I have studied Mechanical Engineering at UCL for the past 4 years, where one of my years of study was spent at Williams Racing as an F1 Aero Design industrial placement intern.
I grew up in a family passionate about aviation so I naturally grew up fascinated with fast machines, though it didn’t take long for my eyes to wander towards cars and bikes instead. As my family had no interest in motorsport however, it took me a long time to build the contacts to get myself a look into the industry as a teenager. I found my first work experience through sheer luck and mutual friends, which took me to Spa Francorchamps for a round of the Le Mans Cup with Lanan Racing. I fell in love with the noise and feeling of a race track at 16, and have loved it more and more ever since.
I am extremely passionate about promoting women in engineering, so the thought of getting involved with an all-female racing series excites me hugely! I am so thrilled to be stepping into the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship paddock with Sekhmet Racing and I can’t wait to see so many incredible women doing what they do best. This is an amazing opportunity, and I’m honoured to be a part of it’.
‘My name is Michelle Liu, a first year Mechanical Engineering student at UCL. My obsession with motorsport started in my late teens, when I was watching Formula 1 to destress from the exams. Since then, my interest and passion has grown to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering, developing a dream to work in the motorsport field in the future. I was first introduced to UCLR in my Welcome Week at UCL, and after joining I have fallen in love with the team dynamic and the tasks involved in Formula Student, despite how challenging they are. I am especially interested in the performance aspect of motorsport, especially since becoming a Performance Engineer within my UCLR Team. Being a part of the Women's Motorcycling World Championship is such an exciting opportunity for me, and I especially look forward to seeing all the women race and work behind the scenes’.
‘Hi, I'm Zubia Khalid, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at UCL. I started my engineering journey in South London at WHSG, where I got into cool projects like the UK Space Design Competition sparking my passion for engineering. When I got to UCL, I was introduced to the world of motorsport and was immediately intrigued. I'm part of the UCLR team, where I am a social media manager, as well as working on logistics and designing outreach on the rover team. The team is a great way to learn from peers and to build and practice new skills. Joining the Women's Motorcycle Championships is a new adventure for me, mixing my love for bikes with engineering. I'm looking forward to learning from this amazing opportunity and the pioneers at Sekhmet Racing. Hands-on engineering is a whole new experience than learning in classes and labs, I am excited to see what it takes to be in motorsport. Outside of class, I'm all about travel vlogs, foreign films, and exploring. I'm all about new frontiers!"
‘I am Vibhuti Dattani, a first-year Mechanical Engineering student at University College London. I look forward to participating in the inaugural Women’s Motorcycling World Championship and feel privileged to be one of six female engineers selected to gain insight into the event's intricacies. My passion for high-performance vehicles has cultivated since joining UCL, particularly in superbikes, rockets, and Formula 1 cars. I am keen on further developing this interest alongside my studies. I am also an Aerodynamics Engineer in Team Rocket in UCLRacing, the only female engineer on my immediate team. Many similar occasions have led me to grasp the lack of significant representation and inclusivity in the industry, motivating me to advocate for diversity for women in the field. Beyond engineering, I enjoy keeping myself physically and mentally active by reading and engaging in sports such as badminton and running’.
“I'm Rashmi Parthian, a passionate first-year Mechanical Engineering student at University College London (UCL), with a passion for motorsports and sustainable development within the industry. In addition to my studies, I am an Operations and Sponsorships Engineer within the Formula Student team in UCL Racing. Beyond academics, I find joy in applying my theoretical knowledge into practical applications by constructing and designing diverse projects. Furthermore, I indulge my passion for music creation through software, as well as with various instruments such as the Keyboard, Violin, and Veena. I'm looking forward to gaining firsthand experience in the operations of professional motorcycle racing teams, understanding the challenges they face, and as a woman in engineering, I believe this opportunity not only allows me to showcase my technical capabilities but also serves as a platform to inspire other women to pursue their passions even if they are in a traditionally male-dominated field."
‘Hello, my name is Soyoung Park, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at UCL. I am from Korea but grew up in Rome, Italy. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by my dad, a fellow automotive engineer, who taught me the workings of a car from early on. Fiddling with different household gadgets and repairing them was how we bonded. That is how I became passionate about Engineering, and to learn more about Engineering and gain experience, I joined the UCLR Eco-marathon team upon entering UCL, which focuses on building the most fuel-efficient car in the world. Throughout my experience in the team, I've learned so much about motorsports engineering and more specifically powertrain engineering. I gained experience in different types of power source as well such as battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell. This has taught me to be adaptive but also understand the theory and the working mechanism, to be able to fully understand the system and know how to apply my knowledge to other systems. However, I have yet to learn about IC engines and work with them, which is why I applied for this opportunity. I believe shadowing engineers at the front of the field, will teach me valuable lessons in motorsport engineering and gain hands-on experience. I am eager to work in such a passionate and creative environment and alongside empowered female drivers who challenge the norms in a male-dominated field!’
We can’t wait to get into the paddock with our interns and start work on this amazing new documentary with these incredible women. We start filming mid July! Follow us on Instagram for as it happens behind the scenes news!
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