Where did you study and what qualifications did you gain?

I attended Strathclyde University in Glasgow from 2009-2014 and gained a Masters in Chemical Engineering.

What attracted you to the industry?

Following two placements, in oil & gas and the plastics industry, and a period of time in a graduate scheme in a consultancy company I didn’t feel that I was utilising and enhancing my engineering knowledge.  It was only during researching different industry options that refrigeration caught my eye, it wasn’t an industry I had really come across at Uni. After carrying out some research, I identified the fast-paced growing nature of the industry and the opportunities that were available and applied for a role in Star’s Design department.

What do you specialise in now? What type of projects do you work on?

As a Design Engineer at Star Refrigeration, my role is to design industrial refrigeration plant. My day to day job involves ensuring our customers cooling requirements are met by correct design e.g. sizing pipework and vessels, component selection, identifying scope for improvements, producing required design documentation and compliance with relevant health and safety standards. I have been involved in various projects for industrial food distribution centres including a cold store for JD Wetherspoon.

What excites you about the industry and your part in it now?

The ACR industry is a fast paced, innovative, growing industry with a bright future and opportunities to progress your career. There are really interesting and innovative projects happening just now including the development of energy efficient heat pumps providing clean affordable and efficient way of heating homes and commercial buildings through utilisation of renewable sources. Star is currently developing the UKs first water source heat pump on the River Clyde which will remove heat from the river and supply cheap renewable heat to a district in Glasgow. It will also be interesting to see where the industry is headed in the coming years in regards to the use of different refrigerants due to the phase out of HFCs. Ammonia is highly utilised and is now becoming the refrigerant of choice within industrial refrigeration applications due its climate friendly properties, but could this change, could another refrigerant such as CO₂ take its place? It is our responsibility as an industry to make sound decisions in the selection of future refrigerants that encompass safety, environment and affordability. I am looking forward to being involved with overcoming the challenges associated with the industry including reducing our environmental impact and energy usage.

Can you tell us about your role?

As a design engineer you have a very varied role being involved with working with various disciplines including sales and commissioning engineers, project managers and site managers.  I have spent time working on site during my previous roles and now with the Star systems allowing me to utilise my experience on very different sites. The proximity of our production factory which is next door to the design office, allows easy access to see the progress of the system build. As my knowledge of the more practical side of the project increases this allows me and the company to be more adaptable to customer requirements which can often change during the design and manufacture process. These experiences have helped me grow as an engineer developing numerous skills key to carrying out my job to the best of my ability which ultimately benefits our end customer.

What do you enjoy most about your job, and what are the biggest challenges you face?

I enjoy the variety that comes with my job, every day is different with new challenges to overcome. There are many innovative exciting projects to get involved with across a wide range of industries. I enjoy using my engineering knowledge to help improve and come up with efficient, sustainable solutions to refrigeration problems. Engineering is about creativity, innovation, hands on practical work and problem solving. One of the biggest challenges I face is to continually develop as an engineer as it will take me some years to gain the experience to become a highly skilled design engineer in this industry. As a female an additional challenge is being a women in a male dominated field but I came into the industry realising this would be the case and don’t feel it has ever been a major issue for me.

What would you say to other women who are considering coming into the ACR industry?

Do it! I would say the same to both females and males considering the industry; if you enjoy and are passionate about utilising your engineering knowledge to help solve problems and overcome future challenges then consider this as an industry. This is a fast paced growing industry with varied opportunities where you will be encouraged to get involved. Like most engineering industries the ACR industry is still male dominated and is lacking in female engineers.

What do you like about working for Star?

I feel very privileged to be a part of one of the leading companies within the refrigeration industry. I work with a really good team of people at Star who are passionate, knowledgeable and ambitious in what they do. I enjoy helping to develop solutions to different problems, working within a team of engineers, learning and developing my skills every day. There are opportunities to enhance your career, help gain chartership, attend industry training courses and events. It is rewarding being part of company that provides top quality products and services to secure a better future for staff, customers and environment.  Star is well known for innovation and pushing the boundaries of environmentally focused refrigeration which creates its own challenges. I like being involved through the whole life cycle of a project from design through to manufacturing, commissioning, installing and maintaining the projects.

Where do you see your career developing?

I would like to continue developing within the Star Refrigeration Design team and better my engineering knowledge and skills, gaining more experience and hopefully reaching a senior design engineer position. Another goal I am hoping to achieve in the next 5 years is to reach chartered status with IMechE, this will be challenging but I feel I have the drive, skills and support to achieve this goal.

What are the challenges of this industry?

There are some very prominent challenges to overcome in the ACR industry including the future selection of refrigerants with the phase out of HFC refrigerants. As an industry we need to ensure we make sound decisions in the selection of future refrigerants that encompass safety, environment and affordability. Other challenges involve reducing the overall energy consumption of the industry and reducing the impact of refrigeration equipment on environment.

Any general career highlights?

One of my highlights was being given the opportunity to be involved in the 2016 Gustav Lorentzen Natural Working Fluids conference in Edinburgh. I attended as a conference assistant where I helped out with the general running of the conference, sat in on presentations from industrial professionals and students, attended networking events and had the opportunity to meet various influential knowledgeable people within the ACR industry. It was an invaluable experience being part of the conference and having the chance to discuss the industry with others and learn about possible future technologies. I have also found gaining site experience working first hand with our refrigeration systems very valuable and eye opening, it is one thing designing the systems in an office environment it is another installing, commissioning and testing the equipment on site. I have also visited a local primary school to help promote women in engineering, and enjoy raising awareness so girls are more aware from a younger age of the various opportunities and the career paths engineering can give you.