Founder and CEO Wins National Women in Sustainability Award

Youth STEM 2030’s Founder and CEO, Mhairi McCann, has been named one of the UK’s Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50), an annual award by the Women’s Engineering Society.

Mhairi McCann WE50 Award Winner profile card.

The WE50 awards are part of International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) - a global day of celebration of women in engineering, which takes place annually on 23rd June. Now in their 5th year, the 2020 awards were themed around sustainability, recognising women who are leading progress towards realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Women’s Engineering Society (WES) selected the winners of its Top 50 Women in Engineering awards, based not only on the commitment of nominees to address the challenges of the climate emergency, net zero carbon and delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also recognise all WE50 award winners as advocates of women in STEM. The WE50 winners all promote women’s role in tackling the climate crisis and are using their experience of sustainability to inspire and influence others, ensuring that female engineers play their part in a sustainable future.

On being recognised with the award, Mhairi said:

I’m hugely grateful that what we are doing here at Youth STEM 2030 has been recognised by this award. I really believe that STEM is pivotal in solving the global challenges we currently face, and also, that young people are a huge untapped potential when it comes to making a difference.
— Mhairi McCann, Founder & CEO of Youth STEM 2030 and WE50 Award Winner
UK’s Top 50 Women in Engineering 2020 by Women’s Engineering Society

UK’s Top 50 Women in Engineering 2020 by Women’s Engineering Society

I was really shocked to find out I was one of the WE50 winners, especially when I heard about some of the other winners’ fantastic achievements, and realised I was alongside people whose work I had already been following and admired!
— Mhairi McCann, Founder & CEO of Youth STEM 2030 and WE50 Award Winner

On the winners, Sally Sudworth, the Environment Agency’s National Programme Manager for Asset Management & FCRM Sustainability Lead (Net Zero Carbon Programme), WES Honorary Secretary and WE50 Head Judge said:

The panel of judges was thrilled by the outstanding achievements demonstrated by all of the winners and were thrilled by the difference being made by the candidates.
— Sally Sudworth, WE50 Awards Head Judge 2020

Find out more about the WE50 Awards on the Women’s Engineering Society website, and meet all of the Top 50 Women in Engineering here.

Mhairi McCann

Mhairi (she/her) is Youth STEM 2030’s Founder & CEO, and her work here is fuelled by a deep drive to create possibility for other young changemakers in STEM. Based in Inverclyde, Scotland, her expertise lies in creating meaningful, inclusive and participatory youth inclusion in decision-making. A generalist, Mhairi brings a strategic approach to the pursuit of our mission, and enjoys thinking of the bigger picture and ‘joining the dots’. She has a strong focus on equity & inclusion, is especially passionate about ocean conservation and, in her free time, enjoys volunteering and spending time in nature on long walks with Gordon the dog. Mhairi is a 776 Foundation Climate Fellow, and a 2021 National Geographic Young Explorer, and for her work at Youth STEM 2030, she was named Winner of the 2022 Young Scot Environment Award.

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