WIM3 Newsletter Jan2021
Our first WIM3 newsletter with updates, news and upcoming events - please have a read and let us know what you think!
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Meet the WIM3 Committee
Chair, Women in Materials Minerals & Mining (WIM3)
Dr Margaret Wegrzyn
Chair, Women in Materials Minerals & Mining (WIM3)
Dr Margaret Wegrzyn
Margaret finished a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, and a PhD in piezoelectric ceramics, both at The University of Manchester. Having successfully completed these, she went to work at Morgan Advanced Materials, where she developed a new dielectric material for power applications, technology analysis of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in ceramics, and subsequently moved into a commercial role in 2015 as New Business Development Manager of Ceramic Injection Moulding.
Subsequently, Margaret has worked in sales and new business development with polymeric foams at Zotefoams plc, with ceramic 3D printers at Nano Dimension GmbH, and now works with geotechnical laboratory equipment at VJ Tech Ltd working with academia and industry.
Outside of work, Margaret trains and dances all over Europe with a Polish Dance group, enjoys travelling around the world and attends various sports events throughout the year.
Fiona Robinson
Dr Fiona Robinson FIMMM is Chair of the Energy Materials Group (EMG), Vice Chair of WIM3, and the 2025 recipient of the T B Marsden Professional Medal.
Fiona is Principal Metallurgist at ENODA Ltd., bringing over 30 years’ experience in electrical steels, metals and materials R&D, and materials processing technologies to their Materials team. She has industrial, research, academic and consulting experience of non-oriented and grain oriented electrical steels, process and product development, data analytics and problem solving. Fiona actively participates in activities related to widening participation in STEM and supporting women to enter and sustain careers in materials.
Fiona has a degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Imperial College, a PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Liverpool, and a specialist Technology Management MBA from the Open University. Fiona is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
Alicia Chrysostomou
Alicia was educated in Ireland and at London Metropolitan University (Londonmet) where she obtained MSc and PhD degrees in the field of Polymer Technology and Engineering, specialising in the fracture mechanics of plastics. She subsequently went on to become a senior lecturer within the School of Polymer Technology at Londonmet but has also held a lecturing post at the University of Waikato in New Zealand and has been employed as a consultant with the British Plastics Federation.
Alicia has been closely involved with IOM3 for many years and has sat on a number of diverse committees, indeed she has also been employed by the Institute. She has been involved in the organisation of conferences and seminars, both for Londonmet and IOM3, and has organised a great many outreach programmes and study days both at Londonmet and in New Zealand.
Judith Driscoll
Judith Driscoll is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge. Her research is in the area of electronic oxide thin films. She has been a visitor at Los Alamos National Lab for fifteen years.
She was a Dee Scholar at the University of Cambridge where she earned her PhD. She was an IBM Fellow for her postdoctoral research at Stanford University and IBM Almaden. She was an associate Prof. at Imperial College from eight years. She moved to Cambridge in 2003 and is Full Professor there. She is a Fellow of Trinity College and also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, American Physical Society, the Materials Research Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2015, she won the Institute of Physics Joule Medal, and the Royal Academy of Engineering Armourers and Brasiers Prize. In 2017, she won the IEEE James Wong award and in 2018 the Kroll Medal from IOM3.
Judith has published over 400 research papers which have been cited more than 16,000 times. She has more than ten patents, several of which have been taken up by industry. She is also Founding Editor (in 2013) of the journal, APL Materials, from the American Institute of Physics. She has chaired many leading committees (prizes and committees) for the Materials Research Society.
Louise Gale
Louise is currently working for Rolls-Royce Plc as a Materials Specialist focusing on the development of materials for net-zero. In particular she is the materials lead for the hydrogen burning gas turbine engine demonstrator program. As part of her role she leads materials test programmes and university research to validate and risk-reduce aerospace materials to enable use of hydrogen.
Louise studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Materials Science. She then started at Rolls-Royce on their Engineering Graduate Scheme, where she did a range of placements including manufacturing, material testing and failure investigation. After finishing the graduate scheme she joined the Material Capability Acquisition team working on the development of ceramic matrix composites for introduction into Rolls-Royce's civil aero engines.
Jennifer Haigh
Jennifer is an engineer who works for Veolia, the world’s largest environmental services provider, providing water, energy, and waste treatment solutions for both municipal and industrial clients. Jennifer’s career spans over eighteen years comprising work in England, HK, Australia, China and France. She obtained a MEng in the field of Environmental, Mining and Petroleum Engineering from Imperial College London and started her career in Asset Management, for the regulated water business in England.
She moved to Asia over fifteen years ago where she worked on O&G water treatment projects in Australia and China. She was Key Account Business Development Manager, Asia, responsible for developing new projects with strategic key account clients to design and deliver industrial water and wastewater treatment solutions. This included leading the tender management of some of the largest bids in Asia-Pacific, ranging from industrial water and wastewater treatment design- build - operate (DBO) contracts, to desalination contracts. Three years ago she moved to Paris, France where she is now the Mining Market Director for Veolia, developing and delivering the strategy to provide value-add environmental services to mining clients globally.
Jennifer has been involved with IOM3 for over twenty years, starting as IOM3 Student Representative at Imperial College, London in 2000. Since 2016 she has been a member of the IOM3 HK Branch Council and in 2020, she was voted as Honorary Secretary of the IOM3 HK Branch Council. In 2022 she was elected President of the IOM3 HK Branch Council and is the first female in both roles. She currently also serves as the Honorary Secretary of the Women in IOM3 Committee. Jennifer has also been awarded a CEng, CEnv and FIMMM during her career and membership of IOM3.
Maria Holloway-Strong
Dr Maria Holloway-Strong is a Principal Engineering Geologist with AtkinsRéalis. Maria returned to the paid workforce after an absence of 17 years. She has more than 20 years’ experience in ground engineering and is both a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Geologist, as well as a certified expert witness. Maria is Chair of the Ground Engineering Advisory Panel for CIRIA, serves on the Ground Engineering Subgroup (GES) of IOM3, is a committee member of Women In Materials, Minerals and Mining (WIM3) of IOM3, and has previously served as a committee member of the Engineering Group of the Geological Society. Maria is also an assessor for the CEng accreditation for IOM3. Maria was the winner of the 2021 Atkins Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award and the 2025 winner of the WISE STEM Returner of the Year Award. Maria is committed to inclusion in the workplace and is a vocal advocate for underrepresented groups. She is a people manager to a team of geologists and engineers in the early stages of their careers and is a single mother to three young adults.
Sanya Chhugani
Sanya Chhugani is a Product Manager at James Walker, where she manages a product line of high-performance seals used in critical applications.
Originally from Gibraltar, she graduated from Loughborough University in 2023 with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering (MEng). During her degree, she completed a Year in Industry with Gillette (Procter & Gamble) as a Manufacturing Engineer.
Outside of work, Sanya enjoys reading, going on hikes, and cooking – often experimenting with new recipes.
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