Leeds Alumna IET Young Woman Engineer for 2022
Ama Frimpong who completed her PhD studies at Leeds having previously studied Biomedical Engineering at Surrey has been named the young female engineer in the UK for 2022 by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Ama is now Head of Product Development at 52 North Health Ltd. She manages the company’s engineering teams in the development of NeutroCheck. This tool is a low-cost, portable device that helps identify people living with cancer who are at risk of neutropenic sepsis - a life-threatening medical emergency occurring in immunosuppressed chemotherapy patients.
On winning, Ama said: “Wow! I feel truly honoured to be named the IET’s 2022 Young Woman Engineer of the Year, joining a line-up of incredible women who have come before me. As someone who has a passion for all things STEM, it’s amazing to have my work in medicine and healthcare recognised by leaders from across the industry.
“Growing up, I didn’t see any women engineers that looked like me, but thanks to the YWE awards, girls growing up today will see that there is a place in the exciting world of engineering for them. I want to use this platform to make a difference and encourage and inspire the engineers of tomorrow to change the world.”
This award follows Ama’s achievement earlier in 2022 when she was named as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2022 by the Women’s Engineering Society.
Every year, the IET celebrates the achievements of women working in modern engineering, with a view to changing the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls.
At the moment, only 16 per cent of engineers are women, according to Engineering UK.
As well as highlighting the talent of women engineers, the awards seek to find role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women.