At this week’s Lunch ‘n Learn talk, we were treated to a presentation on Engineering from our very own Ms Ballie-Whyte. Ms Ballie-Whyte graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Birmingham and brings a wealth of knowledge about Engineering disciplines to FHS. She explained the role of an Engineer in finding practical uses for scientific discoveries and to find imaginative solutions to solve complex problems. As such Engineers bring the ideas of Scientists to life, making engineering a profoundly creative activity. She went on to explain that Engineering also needs to be understood in the context of its role in society. Car braking systems, water treatment, gas turbines and mobile data networking are just a few examples of continuous, creative innovation and improvement by engineers that keep us safe, drive the economy and support our modern lifestyles. She neatly summarised the Engineering design process from definition and identification of a problem to brainstorming and selecting a solution. Then the iterative manufacture and testing of a prototype before communicating the best solution. Ms Ballie-Whyte answered technical and personal questions, stating that her mission now is to prepare many more students to become engineers. By the end of the presentation we were all cheering for engineers!

Dr Price, Teacher of Physics