Dawn Bonfield
{{short description|Engineer, engineering advocate and educator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
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Dawn Bonfield is a materials engineer and founder and director of Towards Vision,{{Cite web|url=http://www.towardsvision.org|title=Towards Vision Home Page. Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering.|website=Towards Vision|language=en|access-date=2018-08-19}} a company which aims to work towards a vision of diversity and inclusion in engineering. She is past president and former chief executive of the Women's Engineering Society (WES),{{Cite web|url=https://www.wes.org.uk/content/dawn-bonfield-mbe|title=Dawn Bonfield MBE {{!}} Women's Engineering Society|website=www.wes.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-08-19}} and in 2018 was an ambassador for the Year of Engineering,{{Cite web|date=2017-11-16|title=2018 will be the year of engineering|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2018-will-be-the-year-of-engineering#:~:text=Today%2C%20Thursday%2016%20November%2C%20the,their%20parents%20and%20their%20teachers.|url-status=live|access-date=2020-03-11|website=GOV.UK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128213841/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2018-will-be-the-year-of-engineering |archive-date=28 November 2017 }}{{Cite web|title=Dawn Bonfield|url=https://www2.aston.ac.uk/eas/staff/a-z/dawn-bonfield|url-status=live|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Aston University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227013644/http://www.aston.ac.uk:80/eas/staff/a-z/dawn-bonfield/ |archive-date=27 December 2017 }} promoting engineering careers through a roadshow aimed at meeting parents.
Career
A materials engineer by profession, training and experience - having studied materials science at Bath University - Bonfield has worked at AERE Harwell, Citroen Research Centre (Paris), British Aerospace (Bristol), MBDA (Stevenage), and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (London).
In 2017, Bonfield was appointed a Visiting Professor of Inclusive Engineers at Aston University,{{Cite web|title=Visiting Professor of Inclusive Engineering Appointed|url=https://www2.aston.ac.uk/news/releases/2017/september/visiting-professor-of-inclusive-engineering-appointed|url-status=live|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Aston University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225072920/http://www.aston.ac.uk:80/news/releases/2017/september/visiting-professor-of-inclusive-engineering-appointed/ |archive-date=25 February 2018 }} developing undergraduate content on inclusive engineering to equip the next generation of engineers with the skills and competencies they need to be inclusive. She also co-founded IncEng in 2017,{{Cite web|url=http://pavilion-live.co.uk/ifp-news/2017/08/30/inceng-strengthening-the-voice-of-diversity-and-inclusion-in-engineering/|title=IncEng: strengthening the voice of diversity and inclusion in engineering {{!}} International Fire Professional Latest News|last=Administrator|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-03}} a platform to bring together under-represented groups in engineering.
Activism
Bonfield joined the council of the Women's Engineering Society in 2011 and was elected president in 2014.{{cite web|title=Presidents Past and Present|url=https://www.wes.org.uk/content/history/presidents-past-present|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Women's Engineering Society|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923083424/http://www.wes.org.uk:80/content/history/presidents-past-present |archive-date=23 September 2017 }} She then became CEO in 2015. Bonfield was the founder of National Women in Engineering Day in 2014 and in 2015 established the inaugural 50 Women in Engineering List with the Daily Telegraph.{{cite web|title=Engineering Heroes – The 2021 Top 50 Women in Engineering #WE50|url=https://www.wes.org.uk/WE50|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Women's Engineering Society|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626123521/http://www.wes.org.uk:80/we50 |archive-date=26 June 2016 }} She established and still runs the "Magnificent Women" schools outreach project and website,{{cite web|title=Magnificent Women|url=https://www.magnificentwomen.co.uk/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Magnificent Women|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322085608/https://www.magnificentwomen.co.uk/ |archive-date=22 March 2019 }} and the Sparxx project to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students.{{Cite web|title=Unlocking engineering's appeal to girls|url=https://www.theengineer.co.uk/unlocking-engineerings-appeal-to-girls/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Engineer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801030612/http://www.theengineer.co.uk/unlocking-engineerings-appeal-to-girls/ |archive-date=1 August 2016 }} She is a STEM ambassador who regularly promotes engineering and materials in schools.
Awards
In 2015 Bonfield won a WISE Award{{Cite news|url=https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/what-we-do/wise-events/wise-awards/previous-winners/wise-awards-2015/|title=WISE Awards 2015 - Welcome to the WISE Campaign|work=Welcome to the WISE Campaign|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}} and an Association Congress Award for the INWED campaign, and in 2016 she won the SEMTA Skills Diversity Award.{{Cite web|url=https://semta.org.uk/mediacentre/5143-diversity-award-for-inspirational-dawn|title=Diversity award for inspirational Dawn|website=semta.org.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-08-19|archive-date=19 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819214256/https://semta.org.uk/mediacentre/5143-diversity-award-for-inspirational-dawn|url-status=dead}} In 2016 she was a Finalist in the Airbus GEDC Diversity Award,{{Cite news|url=http://company.airbus.com/careers/Partnerships-and-Competitions/GEDC-Airbus-Diversity-Award.html|title=Airbus GEDC Diversity Award|work=airbusgroup|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}} and in 2017 she won the Women's Business Council STEM 'Starting Out' award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk/awards/wbc-awards-2017/|title=WBC Awards 2017 – Women's Business Council|website=www.womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-19}}
She was made MBE in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours list{{cite web|title=Order of the British Empire: Jacqueline Dawn Bonfield|work=The Gazette|date=11 June 2016|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2552126}} for 'Services to the promotion of diversity in engineering'.
Membership of groups
Bonfield has been a member of the following groups:
- T Level panel member: Design, Development and Control{{Cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/671654/T_Level_panel_members_-_2020_and_2021_delivery_v2.pdf|title=Membership of T level panels for 2020 and 2021 delivery|date=November 2017|access-date=19 August 2018}}
- Member of the Department of Education Technical Education Inclusivity Working Group{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}
- Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group on Measurement{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/events/events-programme/2015/november/engineering-diversity-and-inclusion-toolkit-and-su|title=Engineering diversity and inclusion - toolkit and survey launch event|access-date=19 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/diversity-in-engineering/diversity-inclusion-toolkit-resources/documents/increasing-diversity-and-inclusion-in-engineer-(1)|title=Increasing diversity and inclusion in engineering|access-date=19 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/diversity-in-engineering/employers/dilg/dilg-action-groups/measurement|title=Royal Academy of Engineering diversity and inclusion leadership group (DILG) - measurement|access-date=19 August 2018}}
- Member of Bath University Court{{Cite web|url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/statutory-bodies-committees/court/docs/160118.pdf|title=University of Bath Court MoM January 2018|access-date=18 August 2018|archive-date=24 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224225848/http://www.bath.ac.uk/statutory-bodies-committees/court/docs/160118.pdf|url-status=dead}}
- Patron at Alton Convent School, Hampshire{{Cite web|url=https://www.altonschool.co.uk/about/community/patrons/|title=Patrons of Alton School|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122408/https://www.altonschool.co.uk/about/community/patrons/|url-status=dead}}
- External Athena Swan Advisory Group Member, City University{{Cite web|url=https://www.city.ac.uk/about/working-at-city/why-work-at-city/equality-diversity-inclusion/gender-equality/advisory-group|title=City University Gender Equality Advisory Group|access-date=19 August 2018}}
- Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professors' Management Group{{Cite web|title=Visiting Professors Management Group|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/other/visiting-professors-management-group|access-date=2020-03-11|website=Royal Academy of Engineering}}
- Member of the Women’s Business Council STEM Starting Out Subgroup{{Cite web|title=Womens Business Council 2016 Progress Report|url=https://www.womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6.2658_GEO_WBC_3-years-on_v5_web-1.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Women's Business Council|page=17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327100459/http://www.womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6.2658_GEO_WBC_3-years-on_v5_web-1.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2017 }}
- Member of Women in Materials Committee of Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining{{Cite web|url=http://www.iom3.org/women-materials/about-women-materials-group|title=IOM3 Women in materials group|access-date=19 August 2018}}
References
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Category:Women materials scientists and engineers
Category:Alumni of the University of Bath
Category:British materials scientists
Category:Women chief executives
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Category:Female fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Category:Fellows of the Women's Engineering Society
Category:Presidents of the Women's Engineering Society
Category:Fellows of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining