A female student working in an engineering lab at the University of West London

WInSTEM

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Introduction

About us

Members of the WInSTEM team inside a lecture room.

WInSTEM is a committee stemming from the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of West London, with the main aspiration and objective being to provide inspiration and motivation to women and young girls, encouraging them to pursue studies or careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subject areas, as per the expertise and field specialisation of the existing members.

We arrange visits to schools all across London, where we are spreading the word to female students about these exciting and dynamic areas.

If you would like your school or college to be part of our women in STEM programme, please contact our WInSTEM Chair, Professor Anastasia Sofroniou at Anastasia.Sofroniou@uwl.ac.uk.

PhD student Livia working in the Faringdon Centre for Non-Destructive Testing

The video shows a former PhD student, now Dr Livia Lantini, conducting important research into ways to measure the health of trees without causing them harm.

Why study STEM?

Why study STEM?

In our view, STEM subjects offer an unbeatable combination of challenge and reward.

If you are thinking about studying a STEM-related subject at university, explore our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Computing, Engineering and Mathematics.

The most enjoyable aspect of Computer Science, in my view, is that it combines theory and practice, abstraction and logic. One of the best feelings that kept me eager to continue studying was the satisfaction I got when, after hours of hard work, I finally made my code function as expected."

- Mickey, BSc (Hons) Computer Science student

WInSTEM committee members

Here's some information about our members, and what inspired us to take up STEM careers.

  • Chair: Professor Anastasia Sofroniou

    Dr Anastasia Sofroniou profile photo

    Anastasia is a Professor of Mathematics at UWL. She is the Course Leader for the BSc and MSc Mathematics and Statistics as well as for the PhD programme in Mathematics. She is a STEM UK Ambassador and the Chair of WInSTEM for the Academic Year 2022/23.

    She says:

    The Reality is that mostly everything stems from STEM!

    Some subjects and topics may diffuse as time evolves, but thankfully, there will always be Science, Technology, Engineering and most definitely we will always have Mathematics, laying the foundations for complex thinking abilities.

    From a young age I have always been fascinated by the beauty of mathematics, tackling mathematical problems and trying to find the optimum and most elegant solution. As a mathematician, the questions 'why' and 'how' are critical, and I am always looking for arguments that answer these. The importance of mathematics is another driver for my fondness for the subject, as it can be seen in almost every aspect of life, exhibited all around us: in nature, science, medicine, engineering, finance and economics, through to emerging technologies”.

  • Secretary: Dr Livia Lantini

    Livia Lantini has dark brown hair and is smiling against a white background

    Livia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar at UWL. She is the Secretary of WInSTEM for the Academic Year 2022/23.

    She says:

    I have always been fascinated by the idea of understanding how the world around us works, and as a civil engineer, I also get to be a part of this. I believe that women, just like men, can do anything they set their minds to, and engineering is no exception. Engineers can make a meaningful impact on the world, but even though it is often pictured as a male profession, women have so much to offer to our communities”.

  • Industry Lead: Dr Efcharis Balodimou

    Efcharis is wearing a plum coloured t-shirt and is smiling into the camera. She has short, light brown hair, brown eyes and freckles..

    Haroula is a Senior Lecturer in Built Environment and joined UWL after working as an architect for several years. She brings into her teaching a wide experience of her industry work and has a strong interest in incorporating sustainable practices in the built environment.

    She says:

    Women in the UK are still underrepresented in disciplines relating to the Built environment. It is encouraging to see more girls wanting to study these disciplines and performing well.

  • Computing Lead: Dr Lavanya Srinivasan

    Lavanya Srinivasan

    Lavanya Srinivasan is a lecturer in Computer Science at the School of Computing and Engineering. Her area of research interest is image processing using computer vision techniques. Her research goal is to innovate ideas that allow machines to learn from and understand the information conveyed from images.

  • Engineering Lead: Dr Atiyeh Ardakanian

    Atiyeh Ardakanian profile pic

    Atiyeh currently serves as a lecturer within the School of Computing and Engineering, specialising in Civil Engineering disciplines. Atiyeh's research interests focus on the water-energy-food nexus and sustainable and safe wastewater reuse.

WInSTEM committee members

  • Dr Sama Aleshaiker

    Sama is waring a navy striped jacket and a white top. She has a silver necklace and silver earrings. She is wearing pink lipstick and has long wavy brown hair.

    Sama is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the UWL and the Course Leader for the BSc Computer Science.

    She says:

    My main inspiration to enter the field of computing was the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem that was anticipated to cause chaos around the world. My interest in problem solving led me to dive deeper into this field as I was fascinated by the different solutions proposed for the millennium problem back then.”

    Visit Dr Sama Aleshaiker's staff profile for more information.

  • Dr Neda Azarmehr

    Neda Azarmehr is smiling in front of some green trees

    Dr Neda Azarmehr is a lecturer in Computer Science and course director of the MSc Artificial Intelligence program within the School of Computing and Engineering. She is endorsed as an emerging leader (exceptional promise) by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

  • Indira Chauhan

    Indira Chauhan profile picture

    Indira specialises in built environment and civil engineering education.

    She says:

    As a child I was fascinated by structures and the designing of buildings. The sight of huge cranes gave me a mystical feel about working on construction sites. A desire to prove that there are misconceptions about gender-specific roles in the industry inspired me to work in construction. I love the range and variety of projects and the infinite possibilities of arriving at various solutions. I am passionate about conveying this to more female students, encouraging them to enter the world of design and construction with confidence."

  • Dr Nasim Dadashi Serej

    Nasim Dadashi Serej is smiling, wearing a winter black jacket and black beanie.

    Dr Nasim Dadashi Serej is a Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the School of Computing and Engineering. She received her PhD as the first-ranked bioelectrical and biomedical engineering student from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

  • Dr Fateme Dinmohammadi

    Dr Fateme Dinmohammadi is a Senior Lecturer in AI & Robotics and acts as a Course Director of MSc Software Engineering at the School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London.

  • Dr Shidrokh Goudarzi

    Shidrokh Goudarzi

    Dr Shidrokh Goudarzi is a lecturer in Computer Science at the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of West London. Her research interests are in wireless networks, artificial intelligence, machine learning, next-generation networks, Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile/distributed/cloud computing.

  • Dr Laden Husamaldin

    Laden Husamaldin

    Dr Laden Husamaldin is a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems and Project Management. She has over 10 years of academic experience which she has balanced with industrial practice gained from consultancy work projects for both private and public sectors.

    She says:

    Woman have historically been underrepresented in Information Systems and Project management academic career, but the field is becoming increasingly diverse. As women, we can bring unique prospective and approached to academia which can lead to more innovative learning and better team dynamic"

  • Edyta Krol

    Edyta Krol

    Edyta is the Subject Librarian for the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of West London, and has several years of experience supporting university students.

    Edyta says:

    I love supporting students to enable them to become lifelong learners. I believe I have a big impact on the success of the School of Computing and Engineering in increasing student success and retention, decreasing STEM student attrition and directly benefiting the scientific community as a whole. It’s great to be a part of such a friendly and dynamic team!

  • Sangeetha Nesiah

    Sangeetha is the School Administrator for the School of Computing and Engineering.

    She says:

    I am encouraged to see students from many under-represented groups at the School of Computing and Engineering. It is my hope that once they graduate, all students will be able to pursue their passion and thrive in their workplace environment.”

  • Dr Bolanle Noruwa

    Bolanle is wearing a black and white patterned top. She is smiling and has dark brown hair that is close cut and brown eyes.

    In her early career, Dr Bolanle Noruwa has worked in consultancy firms carrying out primary quantity surveying duties of keeping close eyes on construction project finances and contractual relationships during pre and post contract period.

  • Parisa Saadati

    Parisa Saadati

    Parisa is a Lecturer in Information Technology at UWL. Parisa is teaching Digital Transformation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is also a certified Agile project manager.

    She says:

    Since I was a child, I was always playing with my toys, unlike any other child, making unusual things with Legos or making my own storybook with lovely illustrations. Coming from a family of a teacher and an engineer, I was always encouraged to do creative things and make my own little world.

    Life is challenging for many girls from male-dominant cultures like mine. Soon I have learnt I must dream big otherwise hope for less! Creativity is one of the essentials of dreaming big in life. And life is your most significant project. Be the best project manager and problem solver, and never quit. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

    I am looking forward to helping more girls to dream big and make their dreams come true.”

  • Dr Nagham Saeed

    Nagham Saeed profile picture

    Nagham is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering and the Head of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) research group. She is IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) UK & Ireland (UKI) Chair and IEEE UKI WIE Early Profession Lead. She mentors early career engineers and aims to promote electronic and electrical engineering to young girls through many events and workshops. Nagham won the IEEE R8 Region 8 Outstanding Women in Engineering Section Volunteer Award 2022.

    She says:

    I aspired to a career that would provide me with enticing challenges and prevent me from stagnating professionally. This, combined with my passion for mathematics, encouraged me to pursue a career in engineering.”

    Past events and projects

    Early Career Talks:

    2022 Challenges and Opportunities: Women's Roles in Digital Era webinar:

    The webinar gave an insight into how professional female engineers can lead and significantly contribute to the digital era.

    IEEE WIE UK&I Career Development Day:

    One of the WInSTEM members, Dr Nagham Saeed, was part of a team supporting the first IEEE WIE UK&I Career Development Day. The event was organised by IEEE Women in Engineering UK and Ireland and hosted at Queen Mary University of London on 30 September 2022.

    There were inspirational talks from distinguished speakers Dr Izzet Kale, Dr Yue Wang, Dr Yansha Deng, Dr Joel Obstfeld, Dr Ruth Brown, Dr Joanne Chamberlain, and Dr Nagham Saeed. There was a stimulating panel discussion to motivate students in order to pursue careers in electronic engineering as well as a poster competition. 

  • Professor Julie Wall

    Julie Wall

    Julie Wall is a Professor of AI and Advanced Computing at the University of West London. She is a member of the British Standards Institution and serves as an expert in the field of AI. Her research focuses on designing intelligent systems to process and model temporal data, with a particular emphasis on speech and language applications.

  • Dr Amalia Tsiami

    Dr Amalia Tsiami

    Dr Amalia Tsiami is an Associate Professor in the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism at UWL. Amalia has extensive experience in food research in academia as well as the food industry. The main interest of her work is the investigation of the relationship between diet and health. She focuses on the effects of dietary intervention on risk factors of type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease. She is focusing on health inequality and healthy eating in diverse and deprived multi-ethnic communities in UK. 

Our activities

Members of UWL WInSTEM speak at schools, industry conferences and elsewhere to promote the cause of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Please contact the UWL outreach team or the Chair of WInSTEM if your organisation is interested in working with us.

WInSTEM activities from its initiation to date:

Previous years' events

  • 2023

    Year 8 speed networking event

    • Date: Tuesday 10 January 2023
    • School: Brentford School for Girls
    • Speakers:
      • Engineering Lead - Dr Nadia Djaid
      • Dr Laden Husamaldin
      • Parisa Saadati

    Careers and Higher Educational Fair

    • Date: Wednesday 25 January 2023
    • School: Brentford School for Girls
    • Speakers:
      • Engineering Lead - Dr Nadia Djaid
      • Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou

    Careers fair and motivational talk on STEM subjects

    • Date: Friday 27 January 2023
    • School: Camden Centre for Learning Special School
    • Speaker: Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou

    Mathematics, Science and Technology Careers Convention

    • Date: Wednesday 8 February 2023
    • School: Queen Elizabeth School, Barnet
    • Speaker: Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou

    Science fair, with hands-on experimental activities at The Royal Institution of Great Britain

    • Date: 18 February 2023
    • Location: The Royal Institution of Great Britain
    • Speaker: Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou

    Guest talk: “From an Engineering student to a multifaceted engineer”

    • Date: Tuesday 21 February 2023
    • Location: University of West London, Ealing site
    • Speakers:
      • Guest Speaker: Mrs Zoe Solati (Chemical and Process Engineer)
      • Chair – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • WInSTEM member: Dr Atiyeh Ardakanian 

    Result of WInSTEM award for the academic year 2022/23

    • Date: 8 March 2023

    WInSTEM celebrate International Women’s Day

    • Date: 8 March 2023
    • Speakers:
      • Chair of WInSTEM - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou, “What is WInSTEM, who are its members and the journey so far…”
      • Guest speaker - Mrs Betty Bonnardel-Azzarelli, MBE, CEO, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality – how we can all contribute”

    WInSTEM smash it at Hyde Park half marathon race

    • Date: 18 March 2023
    • Runner: Chair of WInSTEM – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou.
    • Supporters: Secretary – Dr Livia Lantini and WInSTEM committee members

    Movie afternoon with WInSTEM

    • Date: 5 April 2023
    • Movie: The Man Who Knew Infinity
    • Presentation: Chair of WInSTEM – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
    • Participants: WInSTEM committee members

    WInSTEM partners up with Code Girls First: online talk

    • Date: 10 May 2023
    • Presenter: Chair of WInSTEM – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
    • Guest Speaker: Ms Paris Fawcett
    • Participants: WInSTEM committee members

    WInSTEM attend the House of Lords, Parliament

    • Date: 18 May 2023
    • Participants:
      • Chair of WInSTEM – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • WInSTEM member – Dr Sama Aleshaiker

    Guest talk: Introduction to spectrum engineering

    • Date: Wednesday 24 May 2023  
    • Guest Speaker: Engr Armelle Boisset
    • Participants:
      • Chair of WInSTEM – Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • Dr Nagham Saeed
      • WInSTEM members

    Taster day with workshops in “Mathematics” and “Circuit design and component connections for electronic and robotic applications”

    • Date: Tuesday 13 June 2023 
    • School: Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls 
    • Speakers:
      • Chair: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • Engineering Lead: Dr Nadia Djaid
      • Secretary: Dr Livia Lantini

    WInSTEM participate at the London STEM Women Graduate Careers Event, Congress Centre London

    • Date: Wednesday 21 June 2023
    • Participants:
      • Chair: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • Secretary: Dr Livia Lantini
      • Dr Atiyeh Ardakanian
      • PhD member: Ms Bhairavi Premnath

    Online session: Celebrating talented women on International Women in Engineering Day - WISE

    • Date: Friday 23 June 2023
    • Participants:
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)
      • Dr Efcharis Balodimou (Industry Lead)

    Virtual career talk: Primary Schools Science Week - STEM

    • Date: Friday 30 June 2023
    • Location: Online
    • Speaker:
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    Guest talk: Women in Academia; Evaluating the present, Imagining the future

    • Date: Thursday 29 June 2023
    • Guest speaker: Ms Maryam Ferydoun
    • Speaker:
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)
    • Collaborator: Dr Atiyeh Ardakanian
    • Participants:
      • WInSTEM members
      • Colleagues from the School of Computing and Engineering

    Careers fair and motivational talk on mathematics

    • Date: Tuesday 4 July 2023
    • School: Finchley Catholic School
    • Speaker: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    A picnic afternoon with WInSTEM: Sharing our delicacies with Acton Homeless Shelter

    • Date: Wednesday 12 July 2023
    • Participants: All WInSTEM members and colleagues from the School of Computing and Engineering

    WInSTEM travel virtually to Scotland for a motivational mathematics talk

    • Date: Tuesday 26 September 2023
    • Participants and Audience: Secondary Schools for “Maths Week Scotland”
    • Speaker: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    WInSTEM attends the Royal Institution masterclasses at the Royal Institution of Great Britain

    • Date: Saturday 30 September
    • Time: Morning for Primary (aged 9-10 years) and afternoon Secondary (aged 13/14 years) sessions
    • Participants:
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)
      • Dr Livia Lantini (Secretary)
      • Dr Atiyeh Ardakanian

    WInSTEM Chair meets renowned professor of mathematics, Dr Hannah Fry

    • Date: Monday 9 October
    • The Big Read: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine, Hello World
    • Participants: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    WInSTEM celebrate Ada Lovelace Day by visiting the Ada Lovelace CofE High School

    • Event: Ada Lovelace Day with workshops and career talks with the aim of inspiring pupils towards possible careers in digital roles and industries
    • Date: Tuesday 10 October 2023
    • Participants and Audience: Year 7 and Sixth Form Year
    • Speaker: Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    WInSTEM celebrates Black History Month: Salute our sisters

    • Date: Monday 23 October 2023
    • Guest speakers:
      • Ms Nintse Dan-Thé
      • Professor Nira Chamberlain (Video Message)
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (Chair)

    Online inspirational and motivational talk: Unleashing potential, empowering minds, inspiring change

    • Date: Wednesday 29 November 2023
    • Guest speakers:
      • Dr Panagiota Pimenidou
      • Dr Anastasia Sofroniou (WInSTEM Chair)

  • 2022

    Motivational talk and presentation about famous women in engineering

    • Date: Friday 4 November 2022
    • School: Villiers High School, Southall 
    • Speakers:
      • Engineering Lead - Dr Nadia Djaid
      • Dr Livia Lantini

    Motivational talk, lab activities and presentation about famous women in STEM

    • Date: Friday 11 November 2022
    • School: Ada Lovelace High School, Year 11 GCSE students
    • Speakers:
      • Computing Lead - Dr Liz Sokolowski
      • Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
      • Dr Sama Aleshaiker

    Guest talk: “The black heroes of mathematics”

    • Date: Wednesday 16 November 2022
    • Speaker: Chair - Dr Anastasia Sofroniou
    • Guest Speaker: Professor Dr Nira Chamberlain OBE, CMATH, FIMA, FORS, CSci, PhD, HonDSc

     

WInSTEM student stories

Learn more about studying a STEM subject with our series of videos introducing you to some inspiring female students in a range of fields.

The most enjoyable aspect of Computer Science, in my view, is that it combines theory and practice, abstraction and logic. One of the best feelings that kept me eager to continue studying was the satisfaction I got when, after hours of hard work, I finally made my code function as expected."

- Mickey, BSc (Hons) Computer Science student

PhD student Livia working in the Faringdon Centre for Non-Destructive Testing

Livia, a former PhD student at The Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing

Livia was a former PhD student at the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of West London. Her research focused on the assessment and health monitoring of trees and the investigation of tree roots and soil interaction, using ground penetrating radar and other methods that bring no harm to the trees. Find out more about Livia, her project and her experiences by watching this video.

Mickey, BSc (Hons) Computer Science student

This episode features Mickey, a third year student BSc (Hons) Computer Science student at UWL. Mickey describes what she loves about her subject and why she'd recommend STEM to anyone, regardless of their gender.

Maria, visiting researcher

This episode features Maria, a visiting researcher from Finland, spending time at UWL as part of her PhD project. Maria talks about her background, why she chose chemical engineering, and her hopes for the future.

Mina, Civil Engineering student

In this video we hear from Mina, who has recently completed her Civil Engineering degree. Find out what attracted her to the subject, what she has found challenging, and why she thinks civil engineering has been a great choice for her.

WInSTEM news and announcements

V Awards 2023 Nominees for Organisation of the Year, including WInSTEM

Volunteering Organisation award nomination

WInSTEM was delighted to be nominated and shortlisted for the Organisation of the Year Award, whereby the invaluable, diligent, collaborative and effective work of all WInSTEM members was especially recognised and appreciated at this ceremony. Well done WInSTEM!

 

Two student forensic scientists working at a microscope

Award for Academic Excellence and sponsoring STEM skills

WInSTEM is excited to announce that for this academic year, they will be offering an “Award for Academic Excellence and Sponsoring STEM skills” to the best female student applicant at the University of West London.

This award of £100 will hopefully motivate our female students to continue to progress in their STEM studies and perhaps eventually embark on a career in STEM.

A girl focussing on a touch screen

WInSTEM partners up with Code First Girls

Have an ambition and want to aspire? WInSTEM’s goal is to inspire and guide you to achieve and acquire!

Please contact WInSTEM to receive your unique affiliate code and gain access to free online coding courses and top employment opportunities with brands across the world for female and non-binary students.

Contact details: Professor Anastasia Sofroniou, Chair of WInSTEM, Anastasia.Sofroniou@uwl.ac.uk.

Find out more

Resources for researchers

Student at computer

Online resources

Here you'll find a list of useful resources for students, researchers and others interested in finding out more about women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

This list has been compiled by Edyta Krol, a Subject Librarian at the University of West London and member of WInSTEM.

View the reading list for WInSTEM