The Faculty of Engineering has announced a second recruitment drive to offer academic roles reserved for women, after a successful 2025 campaign to encourage the best and brightest academics into the field.
A quantum physicist and engineer investigating how light can be used to control quantum systems and a mechanical engineer aiming to establish a major battery testing hub are among 16 outstanding women engineers and computer scientists who will join the Faculty in 2026.
The 2025 Women in Engineering recruitment campaign was the first and largest of its kind in the University of Sydney. The campaign has been the cornerstone of the Faculty of Engineering’s investment to address systemic gender inequities in the industry.
Over the last three years, the Faculty of Engineering has increased the number of women academics by more than 45 per cent. The 2025 recruitment drive attracted a record-breaking number of applications from women, nearly 600 from over 40 countries.
“I was excited to find that the roles were designed specifically to hire women engineers. It opens doors and is a beautiful way to address the issue of gender equity in Engineering,” says Dr Ashley Roach, a mechanical engineer who is joining the University of Sydney from the University of Cambridge.
“Most importantly, the roles give a sense of ownership and stability for early-career researchers to make their start in a supportive environment and build their careers with a long-term vision.”
Dr Roach is a specialist in materials science and is interested in the ways material and design choices will influence how a battery fails. She has always loved problem-solving and her goal is to create a testing hub for new and current battery designs at the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, the first at the University of Sydney.
Professor Renae Ryan, Associate Dean of Culture and Community in the Faculty of Engineering, says the strong response to the 2025 recruitment campaign clearly shows it is filling a long-standing gap in academia.
“We had a huge number of outstanding applicants from around the world, which confirms that there are amazing women engineers out there and more institutions should be actively creating opportunities for engineering talent to flourish, develop and grow.
“Due to the overwhelming response, we are announcing an additional 2026 recruitment round to add to our growing community of women engineers and computer scientists at the University of Sydney.”
