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Susan Scurlock, MBE is a British educator and entrepreneur. She is an Honorary Doctor at University of Strathclyde, of Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University, and Kingston University, an Honorary Fellow of The University of Central Lancashire, The Institution of Engineers and Ship Builders in Scotland, and the Institution of Structural Engineers and an Honorary Patron for Education at Construction Equipment Association. She is the founder and CEO of Primary Engineer.

Born: 1962 (age 58 years), Bury, Greater Manchester

Nationality: British

Education: St Gabriel’s Secondary School Bury, University of Central Lancashire, St Martins College Lancaster

CAREER

Early life and education

Susan was born to Patricia And Murray James Birnie  In 1962. She has a daughter, Jennifer, and a son Stephen.

Susan started her working life as a graphic designer after graduating with a first-class honours degree in Graphic Design from University of Central Lancashire in 1995 before going on to undertake a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at St Martin’s College, now part of the University of Cumbria, in 1996. In 1997 Susan became a secondary school teacher at Southland High School in Chorley Lancashire. It was here that she identified many secondary pupils found education wasn’t for them and were disaffected with the process. Her own experience of education was mixed, whilst enjoying her secondary education at St Gabriel’s Secondary School in Bury she experienced a curriculum that was biased against women in scientific and technical subjects. Susan’s interest in engineering was identified early on as one of only two girls in the physics class who at the time were not allowed to study Technical Drawing as it was a ‘boys only’ subject at the time. She left with the highest score for exam results the school had achieved at the time, but without the necessary Technical Drawing qualification she wanted

Career and research

Susan founded Primary Engineer in 2005 and has over the years developed many additional programmes such as Early Years Engineer, Secondary Engineer, The Leaders Award for STEM (If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ the Institutions of Primary Engineers and the Institutions of Secondary Engineers, Post Graduate Certificate in Engineering STEM and STATWARS.

As CEO and founder of Primary Engineer, a not-for-profit established in 2005 with the aim of encouraging more young people to consider careers in STEM-related professions, Susan’s vision is that girls and boys from a very early age will aspire to becoming designers and makers - the engineers of the future. She and the team she leads believe that every child should be able to achieve and that engineering skills provide the core skills and experience to do that. The work of Primary Engineer is supported by major Engineering bodies – the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Scottish Engineering - as well as being recognised by Skills Development Scotland and widely so in industry. Primary Engineer plays a crucial role in attracting school children, from primary through to secondary, to study and understand engineering and its place in the modern world.

Multiple Stakeholders: Whilst the name Primary Engineer places the programme firmly in the primary education sector it disguises its wider engagement. The programme focuses on the training of teachers to enable them to deliver practical maths and science to design technology projects enabling effective project-based learning. Though the programmes structure engineers are linked to schools to provide a context to the learning. This links industry to schools providing careers awareness and re-iterating the importance of engineering in our world.

The Leaders Award for STEM ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ Requires pupils (primary and secondary) to interview engineers  about the way they creatively problem solve. Pupils then take these skills to identify problems that they then draw solutions to explaining in an accompanying letter to engineers why they should build their idea.

University Engineering Departments choose pupils designs to build and unveil at the annual round of exhibitions and awards held around the UK. This enables our students to develop attributes - such as Active and global citizenship; Confidence; Responsible leadership - in line with the Common Good mission of the University.

Over the years, Susan and her colleagues have added programmes to further increase engagement. Secondary Engineer looks at the transitional phase between primary and secondary schools, and The Leaders Award for STEM enables pupils to interview engineers and STEM professionals about their work, career path and motivation.

Extending these major accomplishments, and amongst many other innovations in engineering education, 2014 saw the launch of the Institution of Primary Engineers and the Institution of Secondary Engineers at the House of Lords, designed to not only engage children and students from 5-18 with engineering but also map and develop their skills to the Institutions’ competencies. The programme is set to become a ‘game changer’ in how schools and pupils engage with skills and how industry and Higher & Further Education recognise those individuals with the skill sets they require.

Awards and honours

2019 Honorary Fellowship of the University of Central Lancashire

2019 Honorary Doctor of Engineering Kingston University

2019 MBE Awarded in the New Year’s Honours List 2018 for services to Education and Engineering

2018 Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers

2017 Honorary Doctor of Engineering Glasgow Caledonian University for engineering education

2016 Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland

2015 Honorary Doctor of the University. University of Strathclyde for engineering education

2011 Teacher Training Awards from the Design and Technology Association

2009, 2010, 2011 The Royal Aeronautical Society Centennial Scholarship Awards

Board Membership:

Year of Engineering / Engineering Take a Closer Look Stakeholder Board

Partner organisation with the Engineering Professors Council

Honorary Patron for Education the Construction Equipment Association

Fund Raising committee Harmeny Educational Trust

MOD STEM Strategy Board

ADS Executive Council Member

Executive Member Scottish Association for Engineering Education

Committee Member Institution of Mechanical Engineers Lancashire