UCL academics named as Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows

The RAEng Fellowship represents the nation’s best engineering researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, with around 50 Fellows joining the roll call each year.

Those awarded the honour from UCL in 2021 are:

• Professor Paola Lettieri, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of UCL East;
• Professor Tiziana Rossetto, Professor of Earthquake Engineering;
• Professor Jade Alglave, Professor of Computer Science;
• and Professor Yiannis Ventikos, Kennedy Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering, said: “I’m delighted to celebrate the achievements of the professors elected to the Fellowship, particularly after such a challenging year. Their admissions reflect each of their extremely valuable contributions to the world of engineering and I am excited to see what is in store for these leaders in the future.”

The RAEng Fellows give their time and expertise voluntarily to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society. Ahead of its 50^th anniversary in 2026, the Academy announced a Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative last year to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups.

Professor Paola Lettieri (UCL Chemical Engineering and UCL East) said: “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. I am very grateful to all the research colleagues and partners who I have had the privilege to work with over the years. This award recognises the contribution to society of all our work.”

Professor Yiannis Ventikos (UCL Mechanical Engineering) said: “I feel tremendously honoured to be counted amongst this group. Over the years, Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows have played a pivotal role in developing the technologies that have changed - and are changing - the world, every day, for the better. I look forward to contributing to the goals of the Academy in making the expert voice of engineers heard in policy making and in furthering the esteem and recognition the profession enjoys in society as a whole”.

Professor Tiziana Rossetto (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering) said: “In my career I have been inspired by several engineers that have been Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and I would never have thought to have been made a Fellow myself. This is an incredible honour and I aim to work with other Fellows to place engineering at the core of disaster risk reduction. I also look to pass on my passion for engineering to the next generation and promote this wonderful profession amongst girls.” 

Among those awarded Honorary Fellowships this year is the broadcaster, journalist and UCL alumna Steph McGovern, who studied at the UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Our Fellows represent the best of the best in the engineering world, and we welcome these 69 excellent and talented professionals to our community of business people, entrepreneurs, innovators and academics.

“This year’s new Fellows are the most diverse group elected in the history of our institution. The engineering profession has long suffered from a diversity shortfall and the Academy is committed to changing that, including by ensuring that our own Fellowship community is as inclusive as it can be. It is well established that diverse organisations tend to be more agile and more innovative, and as the UK’s National Academy for engineering and technology, we have a responsibility to reflect the society we serve in addressing the shared challenges of our future.”

Links

• Professor Paola Lettieri’s academic profile
• Professor Tiziana Rossetto’s academic profile
• Professor Jade Alglave’s academic profile
• Professor Yiannis Ventikos’ academic profile
• UCL Chemical Engineering
• UCL East
• UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering
• UCL Computer Science
• UCL Mechanical Engineering
• UCL Engineering
• Royal Academy of Engineering

Image

• Top L-R: Professor Tiziana Rossetto and Professor Jade Alglave. Bottom L-R: Professor Paola Lettieri and Professor Yiannis Ventikos.