Opportunities create opportunities

Throughout my life and career, I have seen how the right environment, mentorship, and timely encouragement can make a significant difference to someone’s path. That awareness has shaped how I approach my work.

As an Assistant Professor of Engineering Simulations and Thermofields at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, I specialise in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), including machine learning–aided simulations. My work spans aerodynamics, simulation-driven design, and microfluidic biosensors for early disease detection, positioning me at the forefront of advanced engineering modelling and analysis. Alongside this technical work, some of the most meaningful impact I have comes from how I apply it beyond simulations and biosensors.

A childhood dream to build an aeroplane to a lifelong passion for engineering

My journey into engineering began with a childhood fascination, not just with the excitement of flight, but with the science behind it. I remember collecting materials in a special closet as a child, imagining one day I might build an aeroplane. What started as a curiosity about airflow became a lifelong passion for understanding, and later teaching, how fluids move and behave.

I was lucky. My mother and sister were enormously encouraging throughout my childhood, and even though some people will always try to discourage you, I could always point to someone showing me the proper way and signposting the opportunities available to me. That early passion led me to study aerospace engineering, a field that sits at the intersection of mathematics, creativity, and engineering problem-solving.

I have benefited from mentors, supportive academic environments, and collaborative networks, and this has made me keenly aware of how powerful opportunities can be. It has shown me that in any interaction we have, there is the potential to encourage and inspire, as well as to be encouraged and inspired.

What creating opportunities actually looks like

Creating opportunities does not always require large programmes or funding schemes. Often, it begins with building environments where people feel they belong and can contribute their ideas with confidence.

In education, it can mean designing learning environments where students feel confident to participate and take ownership of their learning. It can mean connecting students with real-world challenges and industry contexts that help them see how their knowledge applies beyond the classroom. At a broader level, it can include mentoring early-career researchers, organising workshops or networks that bring people together, or supporting initiatives that help underrepresented groups access pathways in academia, industry, or public service.

In engineering and research, some of the most important breakthroughs come from collaboration and diverse perspectives. When students, early-career researchers, and professionals feel supported and connected to a community, they are more likely to explore bold ideas and pursue ambitious goals.

Creating opportunity in the classroom

Something close to my heart is making sure that, whether I am with students in the classroom or with colleagues at work, I create a space where people feel comfortable expressing their ideas and where creativity is encouraged.

I teach across apprenticeship, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes, often working with learners from the UK’s most advanced manufacturing and vehicle industries. Many of my students are apprentices balancing demanding professional roles with academic study, and supporting their progress has become one of the most meaningful parts of my academic life.

To enhance engagement, I developed new teaching approaches that blend live simulations, digital resources, and active engagement strategies, including a “Point-Based Gaming” model that gamifies participation and improves outcomes for diverse learners with different learning styles. In some modules, this boosted engagement to 100%.

Usually, when you are in a class, you see that a few people are highly active and outspoken, and some are not. This novel approach allows most students to participate because it includes different elements that make it inclusive, including the ability to contribute anonymously. So rather than the same voices dominating, you get a much fuller picture of what the room actually knows and thinks.

At the end of each session, I share an anonymised leaderboard and invite the top three students to identify themselves. Almost every time, there is at least one woman among them. In a traditional engineering classroom, those same students might not feel confident enough to raise their hand to answer a question. That moment, small as it may seem, is incredibly significant.

The impact has extended beyond the classroom. Colleagues have begun adopting the approach, it is being shared more widely across the university, and student feedback consistently reflects high levels of engagement and satisfaction. Many students describe feeling more confident, supported, and included in their learning.

Beyond the classroom, I mentor academics internationally through my WIHEA Fellowship, supporting the development of inclusive and innovative teaching practices. I also guide colleagues in achieving professional recognition, including Advance HE Fellowships or Chartered Engineer status, strengthening both teaching excellence and academic leadership.

Opportunities and the UK Young Academy

For me, engineering education is not just about delivering knowledge. It is about creating opportunity, particularly for students who may not see themselves represented in the field. This belief in inclusion and impact extends beyond the classroom and into my work with the UK Young Academy, where I am a member of its first cohort.

In engineering especially, and in academia more widely, we try to find solutions to challenges. But solutions cannot be effective if we exclude the voices of individuals who are less likely to experience opportunities. When more people feel that they belong in engineering, science, or research, the entire field becomes stronger and more innovative.

Through the UK Young Academy, I have been involved in projects that aim to broaden access for young people, including the IMAGINE project, which supports young people from underrepresented backgrounds to explore different career pathways and understand how their skills can connect to opportunities in research, industry, and society. This work involves collaboration with researchers and professionals across disciplines, as well as outreach with schools and early-career researchers.

The point

From Computational Fluid Dynamics research to educational innovation, my work is grounded in the belief that engineering should serve people and communities as much as it solves problems. Through teaching, mentoring, and national collaborations, I want to help shape not just better engineers, but a more inclusive and empowered future for the profession.

Access to opportunities often shapes the direction of someone’s life and career. I am sure you can pinpoint a meeting, a moment, or a person that changed your course. I certainly can. And that is exactly why creating opportunities for others is not an add-on to my work. It is the work. Because opportunities create opportunities.

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