Lisa Woods

The 2006 Recipient of the Kate Sheppard Memorial Award is Lisa Woods, a young 23 year old woman from Geraldine.  The Award is being used to help pay for living costs to attend the University of British Columbia in Canada.  She is attending the University of British Columbia as part of her Masters of Engineering.  It is an honour to be accepted as an exchange student and Lisa is already in Canada undertaking the coursework component of her postgraduate degree.

Lisa graduated from the University of Canterbury School of Engineering in 2005 with a Bachelor of Engineering (with First Class Honours) in Civil Engineering.  Since then she has been working for a well-known New Zealand structural engineering firm as a structural engineer.  She thoroughly enjoys the challenge of concept design and devising innovative solutions to structural problems and is excited about where a career in this industry will take her.

The focus of her Masters is something that will be of interest to the building industry within New Zealand and in other places where they use this form of flooring construction.  Lisa will be investigating the effect of earthquake attack on flange hung “double tee” pre-cast concrete floors.

Lisa has a very worthy goal in that she wants to become a successful structural engineer that uses and promotes sustainable design.  But more than just developing these ideas for New Zealand, Lisa sees the importance of sharing these innovations with other countries to help break down the international barriers that often exist.  Undertaking her coursework in Canada is the first step in this process as she is able to build her international networks and share ideas with classmates from a different country.

Lisa is also aware that as a female in a male-dominated field she can help raise the profile of women in engineering.  By winning this award she hopes that other young women will consider this as a viable career choice.