Dr Gunilla Burrowes is the first female engineer in the Newcastle Division to receive this prestigious award. She has had strong connections to the Division over many years, having chaired our WiE group, served as a Division President and sat on Congress and Council. Gunilla currently sits on the local CLM Committee.
An electrical engineer with a broad range of industry and academic experience, Gunilla is passionate about innovation and diversity. Her engineering career has taken her on parallel journeys of entrepreneurship and advocacy as a role model and supporter for other female engineers in their career, both in Universities and in business.
Gunilla is an advocate for increasing the profile of engineering and science in our community and she currently is active in this as Chair of Australian Science Innovations (www.asi.com.au), a not for profit with a mission to inspire and challenge our best secondary students in science and through a consultancy, Gender Matters Pty Ltd she has established to advise organisations on gender equity.
She had managed a Women in Engineering program at the University of Newcastle and was an instigator of Engineers Australia’s very successful themed year 2007: The Year of Women in Engineering. Her research (M.Phil.) and prominent role in diversity in engineering and gender-inclusive engineering education has given her an international reputation.
Gunilla has recently graduated from the AICD Directors Course as she has been an active member of numerous company boards and is keen to continue to grow as a company director.
She has been a National Vice President of Engineers Australia, a founding Chair of Rights House Incorporated, an Angel Investing organisation based in the Hunter Region of NSW, and Deputy Chair of Engineers Media Pty Ltd. Currently, she is Chair of Australian Science Innovations (ASI) and founding Chair of Eighteen04 Inc. an inspirational co-working space in Clean Tech and Smart City start-ups.
She completed a PhD part-time in Underwater Communication Networks in collaboration with Blue Zone Group, a company she founded with her husband in 2000.
[Image: Newcastle President David Sparkes presenting Dr Gunilla Burrowes with her Honorary Fellows Award.]