Our warmest congratulations to Dawn Ohlson (1990, Engineering and Computer Science) who has today been elected President of the Institution for Engineering and Technology.
Dawn is a highly respected engineering professional who has led the delivery of cutting-edge avionics for over thirty years at Northrop Grumman National Security Services and Thales, prior to joining her current employers, Ultra I&C, as Vice President, Engineering. The IET is the globally-renowned professional engineering community working to engineer a better world.
Dawn Ohlson in the Faraday Lounge at the IET’s London headquarters. Credit: IET
Dawn’s promotion to President of the IET recognises not only her professional excellence, but also her tireless advocacy for STEM throughout her career. Fuelled by her own early love of engineering and mathematics, Dawn has mentored countless early-career engineers and worked extensively with schools, universities and industry bodies to inspire the next generation of engineers, particularly young women.
Dawn previously won the WISE Excellence Award and the 2015 First Women Award for Engineering in recognition of her work promoting the role of women in science and engineering. She became a Chartered Engineer in 1999 and was made the IET’s youngest female IET Fellow in 2008.
On becoming IET President, Dawn said: “I feel humbled and honoured to be here. Humbled by the people who have gone before me and by the task ahead, and honoured to be trusted with ideas, plans and the future of the IET – I believe in the brilliance of this community. This role as IET President is the ultimate volunteer role. And throughout my career, it’s the volunteer roles that have pushed me the hardest and made the biggest impact.”
In her inaugural Address to the fellows and members of the IET today, Dawn will speak about the hidden impact of volunteering, highlighting the key role of volunteers across the profession. We look forward to watching Dawn’s tenure as IET President, and to welcoming future collaborations between the IET and Somerville’s strong engineering community.
Dawn Ohlson with former Prime Minister Theresa May at the opening of Ultra I&C’s new £30m Cyber Centre of Excellence in Maidenhead, UK