A Wales based engineer specialising in geotechnical work, has been awarded Fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
Alison Graham joined Arcadis in 2022 after over 20 years at Atkins and recently celebrated a new role as South and Wales Regional Lead for the Structures, Geotechnical and GIS Business Unit. During her time here she has also developed her role as the mentor lead for the Geotechnical and Geospatial Business creating a network across the UK comprising of 7 hub leads and 50 mentees with the aim of developing this network further in her new role to create a more unified approach to developing staff in becoming professionally qualified across the business unit.
The ICE Fellowship awarded to Alison is the highest grade of membership at the institution for those who have made a significant contribution to civil engineering.
Alison said:
“Gaining my Fellowship to the ICE is one of the proudest moments of my career to date. To achieve the highest status from the Institution provided the ultimate recognition of many years of study and experience.
“As a Fellow and the Technical Director at Arcadis, I have the privilege of serving as a role model for others in the industry, showing what they can aspire to achieve.”
Most recently, ICE staged a global event, ICE Connects: growing the women in Fellowship network, aimed at improving diversity across leadership roles. Livestreamed to an audience in Cardiff, the event connected female engineers from the city with those around the UK and internationally. A thought-provoking panel of distinguished speakers, including ICE President, Professor Anusha Shah, addressed the critical need for increased representation of women at the ICE’s highest grade of membership and across the breadth of the engineering professions. The panel highlighted the ICE’s dedication to creating a more inclusive and equitable infrastructure landscape.
Keith Jones, director ICE Wales Cymru said:
“Alison is an excellent role model for women in leadership within engineering and an inspiration for women starting their journey towards ICE Fellowship. Her work not only showcases her ability as a leading civil engineer but also her interest and involvement in helping others to attain their best.
“We’re delighted to see her many achievements in Geotechnical Engineering have been recognised and we are grateful for her support of ICE’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the civil engineering community.”
The ICE’s overall female membership has almost doubled over the last 15 years from 8.4 to% to 16.3%. The latest data suggests change is accelerating among younger age groups, with women making up around 23% of members under the age of 40 and more than 24% of trainees (members on an active ICE training agreement).
If you are interested in becoming a Fellow of ICE join Jenny Carruthers, senior business leader at Sellafield's Nuclear Fuel on 17 April at a special online event to talk about the necessary attributes and qualifications. https://www.ice.org.uk/events/latest-events/routes-to-fellowship-jenifer-carruthers
