This is STEMAZING

In this episode you’ll hear from Sahar Danesh, Senior Government Advisor atThe British Standards Institution. Sahar works to influence government policy in response to emerging technologies such as AI, Quantum, Data, Telecoms, and Cyber Security. 

“I found the problem-solving element the best part and that's really what made me into an engineer”, Sahar says reflecting on her initial entry into STEM. She began her career in construction before pivoting into communication and policy. Sahar wanted to turn her technical fluency into public impact, asking important questions like ‘how do we govern AI so it helps more than it harms?’. Sahar explains that policy is about ‘bringing information together and talking to experts and then coming up with the best solutions’.  

Sahar talks about emerging tech such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and AI, and explores the complex potential issues: bias in data, the danger of deepfakes, manipulative targeting on social platforms, the tension between safety and innovation and more. Good AI policy requires input from a wide range of people: technologists, policymakers, standards bodies, users, civil society, philosophers, and artists all carry part of the answer.

Sahar explains how few women she’s worked alongside, and how in-awe she has been of fellow female engineers. She encourages women to be louder voices in the design room, in standards meetings, and in public consultations. You don’t need an engineering degree to shape technology; you need lived experience, and the confidence to press it into the policy requirements.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from Amanda Kangai, Graduate Trackside Engineer at Pirelli as she shares her journey from Vice President of the University Engineering Society at Cambridge to now working trackside in Motorsport. Her incredible story reveals how determination and self-belief can overcome the double minority status of being both a woman and a person of colour in engineering. "You need to be your own biggest supporter, your own cheerleader," she says.
 
Growing up watching Formula 1 with her father sparked Amanda's passion, but she never initially considered motorsport as a viable career path without seeing people who looked like her in those roles. This changed dramatically when a chance conversation during her student ambassador role with Extreme E led to a life-changing opportunity. 

Amanda shares the extreme thrills she experiences in her role. Her first race weekend in Scotland encapsulates this perfectly—facing mechanical failure one day and standing on the winner's podium the next, champagne spraying as her team celebrated victory.  

Amanda is passionate about creating pathways for others. "Not every woman has to love engineering or motorsport," she says, "but it's so important that girls know these careers exist and are accessible to them." 

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear Dr Marzia Bolpagni, Head of Building Information Modelling International at Mace. Marzia is passionate about Digital Transformation for the Built Environment and is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of professionals; helping young talent bridge the gap between academia and industry. 

Marzia grew up with one simple goal: to be happy. From her early love of both art and science, she found her way into architectural engineering — a path that combined creativity with the precision of math and physics. Along the way, she discovered that success doesn’t come from chasing a job title, but from cultivating curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to learn new skills.

She shares her experiences of entering the male-dominated worlds of construction and digital innovation: from boardrooms where her presence was questioned to moments of unconscious bias, she reflects on the challenges of being underestimated.

Marzia also offers heartfelt advice for young professionals: don’t wait for permission, ask for what you want, and surround yourself with people who lift you up. Confidence, curiosity, and courage, she insists, are the foundations not just for a career in digital construction, but for a fulfilling life. 

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from AI, data and technology consultant Christina Tueje. Christina delivers a variety of AI, cybersecurity and data protection training programmes, supporting the learning and development needs of AI and privacy professionals.

Hear how Christina’s career pivoted from Psychology to Tech, almost by accident. When talking about working in data security, Christina says ‘I surprised myself, actually, as to how much I enjoyed it. Just being in the space I could see all the opportunities. Although I say I fell into it purely by accident, actually when I did end up in the space I thoroughly enjoyed it, and still enjoy it.’

Christina reflects on the lack of diversity she’s experienced in her career; ‘More often than not, I'm the only one in the room that looks like me’. She explains how she often needed to find creative ways to ensure her contributions weren't overlooked or appropriated without credit. Yet as her expertise in technology risk management grew, she found her voice becoming increasingly difficult to ignore - especially in conversations about ethical, lawful, and compliant product development.

Her passion for responsible technology use ignited fully with the emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. This "light bulb moment" crystallised her commitment to advocating for technologies that balance innovation with safety and ethics. Christina speaks enthusiastically about AI's transformative potential in healthcare and financial security while acknowledging the need for careful governance. She also celebrates that more non-technical women are entering the tech space, bringing more diversity of thought and making the sector more exciting to work within. 
 

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear Najwa Jawahar, Associate Director in Design Management at WSP. 

Najwa's journey began in school where maths and physics weren't just subjects — they felt like different languages that made perfect logical sense to her. She loved disassembling machines but admits she didn’t always know how to put them back together! When her physics teacher presented career options, structural engineering emerged as her path through a process of elimination: "I decide things based on what I don't like" she explains! 
 
Cultural barriers created significant hurdles. Her father's family questioned why a woman would enter a male-dominated field where she'd be "surrounded by men". Thankfully, Najwa's mother became her fiercest advocate, handling "family politics" while encouraging her daughter's ambitions. Najwa then inspired her sisters to also become engineers. 

The contrast between educational expectations in Pakistan versus the UK surprised her. "In Pakistan, you would get educated to find the best husband," whereas she wanted education "to make a career and inspire other people". Finding herself one of just 16 women among 160 engineering students sparked her mission to increase representation.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from Melanie Stewart, Lead Structural Welding Engineer at Merit.

Has a single moment defined the rest of your life? For Mel, it was looking out of an office window and seeing the sparks fly as some people were welding. Mel was amazed. The magnetism of that moment – the sound, the light, the creative power – pulled her away from a mundane office job and into a challenging yet deeply fulfilling career path she never knew existed.

Mel reveals that she was always arty and into crafts but struggled with academia. She left school without qualifications which later became a barrier to entry for her into some professions. She admits, had she known she’d need them to be a welder she’d have worked harder.

Mel recalls how she faced relentless bullying during her apprenticeship years, being assigned menial tasks while male counterparts received proper training. She also encountered systemic barriers like job rejections due to her gender. Yet through it all, her passion for welding never dimmed.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from Monisha Gower, Assets Director for Northumbrian Water Group.

Originally from Nigeria, Monisha developed an early fascination with how things worked—taking apart VHS players and televisions, only to reassemble them with a few "spare parts" left over.  Despite her father being a chemical engineer who inspired her interest in engineering, cultural expectations initially limited her options. In an act of defiance that would define her approach to barriers, Monisha secretly changed her university registration from her father's choice to electrical engineering, causing a temporary rift that healed only when her excellent grades proved her capability.

Monisha talks extensively about her experiences defiantly persuing a career in a male-dominated industry. She recalls how she ‘went on strike’ for not being allowed to do the things the boys could do, like change a lightbulb. Monisha doggedly pushed the boundaries. ‘When you don't push, you don't get’, Monisha says.

Monsiha also describes how she’s looked after her own wellbeing throughout adversary, recognising her ‘sheer workaholic willpower’ at the start of her career. She reflects also on how she found resilience through her faith: “it's work, it's life, it's spirituality, and I definitely have a lot more equilibrium”. The most revealing aspect of Monisha's journey is her evolution from trying to "be a guy in a man's world"—adopting an aggressive persona she thought necessary for success, to discovering the power of authentic leadership.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from Kat Parsons, Group Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Centrica.

Kat reflects on her childhood love for the outdoors, which led her to the challenging field of contaminated land management. She describes making ‘mud pies’ as a child, only to end up doing the same thing as an adult in a more professional capacity!

Kat’s story of discovering the power of authenticity is inspirational. Working in male-dominated industries like construction Kat explains how she adopted the ‘chameleon effect’, becoming more masculine and swearing to try and fit in.“I'd turn up to site, put my hard hats and rigger boots on and I'd be a different person”, Kat says. She would also shy away from being honest about her sexuality.

Kat moved from Construction to facilities management, and was surprised to learn the organisation had an LGBTQIA network, something she hadn’t experienced previously. She also reveals how this was the most diverse workforce she has ever been a part of; “It was actually just such a breath of fresh air that I could be the same person inside and outside work”. Kat then became Head of Diversity and Inclusion and, with insight from her own personal experiences, took the company to Highly Commended at the European Diversity Awards.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear from Elina Militello Asp, Transport and Scenario Modelling Group Leader at UK Atomic Energy Authority. From her earliest days in a rural Swedish village to leading a team at the forefront of nuclear innovation, Elina’s journey is fuelled by a passion for science and inspired by the many strong female role models in her family (her grandmother was one of the first female pharmacists!). 

Elina reveals how her first foray into STEM saw her want to become an Astronomer. It was only after she began training that she realised that wasn’t the right course for her. Elina demonstrates how it’s never too late to change direction or choose the specialise in something new. She chose to pivot to particle physics and took a summer student-ship at CERN. Then it was the discovery of fusion plasma physics as an abundant energy source hat really ignited Elina’s passion for STEM. ‘Don't be afraid to change track’, Elina says.

Elina felt she lacked support in the early days and only completed the course through sheer determination on her part. From then on, she vowed to carefully choose her bosses in the future. She also reveals how she made the transition into leadership at the UKAEA.  Through her experiences, she champions the importance of mentorship and personal development, offering insights into how these tools have shaped her leadership style and bolstered her confidence.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast

In this episode you’ll hear fromHeather Tymms, an advisor for global engineering consultancy GHD. Her love of STEM began at an early age when a guest speaker at her school explained how you can count to 30 on one hand. Heather also had a strong passion for puzzles and is able to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute!

Heather recalls her struggles at school and how she didn’t achieve the grades she hoped for. She advises that you should never rule out a STEM career based on feelings of academic inadequacy: “A-levels are not the be-all and end-all of everything” she says. Heather went on to achieve a 1st Class Bachelors degree.

Heather describes her visual impairment and the struggles she faced as she adapted to her disability. She says her proudest moment was collecting her degree at her graduation ceremony alongside everybody else; something she had feared she wouldn’t be able to do as there were stairs to the stage. Now she strives to be a role model to support young people into STEM, the same way her school introduced her to the sector.

To learn more about STEMazing, and this week’s guest, head to https://www.stemazing.co.uk/podcast