Hear about her career in aerospace engineering, why she decided to get involved in the Challenge, some advice for all students taking part in the Challenge and much more, all in our interview.
Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
Gillian Cameron (GC): I graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2001 with a BEng (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering. Unfortunately, due to the September 11th attacks, there was a downturn in recruitment in the aerospace Industry, so it wasn’t until December 2002 that I joined BAE Systems Aerostructures in Prestwick as a graduate engineer.
Although I have spent my engineering career based at Prestwick, latterly with Spirit AeroSystems. I have had some great experiences, secondments, and travel opportunities. I have worked in both design and stress functions, and as an MRB Stress Approver, and more recently moving into process improvement and design assurance activities.
I have also been a keen STEM Ambassador for STEM Learning for 15 years; it is extremely rewarding going into schools to talk with pupils about flight, engineering and why I chose to be an engineer. I enjoy going into schools to show the pupils how the subjects they are learning link into different aspects of engineering. It gives them the understanding of how their subjects can be applied outside of school and really helps them engage with subjects if they can see a purpose for them. I have been asked so many amazing questions from pupils; it is so inspiring seeing some of the creations that are designed or built in connection with my visits. Their imagination and enthusiasm are fantastic; I would thoroughly recommend becoming a STEM Ambassador and getting involved in lots of different STEM activities.
Q: What interests you most about aerospace engineering?
GC: For me, I don’t think there has been one specific area of interest as I’m always keen to keep learning.
For example, when I first decided I wanted to study aeronautical engineering I was fascinated with aircraft, how the engineers knew how the structure was strong enough and flight in general. At university two of my favourite subjects were flight mechanics and aeroelasticity, so it’s probably not a surprise that one of my favourite subjects from school was maths!
In one of my graduate placements I was involved in a technology placement involving composite materials. I was lucky enough to witness some lightning strike testing and to see how this compared to how the experts had modelled the same test scenarios.
When I first moved into MRB I was sent on a composite repair course. I spent two weeks at a workshop in Hatfield refreshing my university theory in the mornings, then in the afternoons creating different shapes of honeycomb panels, only for the instructor to damage them to varying degrees so I had to then carry out the recommended repairs. It gives you some perspective on what is involved in the suggested repair when you need to taper sand a composite panel!
I’m currently interested in problem solving methodology, continuous improvement and how these can help drive efficiencies.
Q: What motivated you to apply for the UAS Challenge Deputy Head Judge role?
GC: As a keen STEM Ambassador I wanted help the university teams gain an understanding of what to expect when they start their careers in industry. I believe the Challenge offers the participants a fantastic opportunity to apply their university theory, designing, building and test flying their own UAS, as well as gaining more insight into what they will experience in industry. The teams are required to have a concept phase where they select their design, produce a technical report showing compliance to the Challenge requirements, plan and hold design reviews, and have a test readiness review prior to the flight test. All of this mirrors what happens in industry but on a smaller scale. I think it’s a fantastic structure and because the teams will have had this experience, I believe when they start their careers in industry they will have a better understanding and appreciation of why these stages are important.
Q: What advice would you give to the teams competing this year?
GC: For teams competing this year I would say make the most of the experience, take on board any advice offered from your academic supporters and the judging panel and learn from your mistakes. I don’t think anyone likes making mistakes, but everyone does and I’ve found they can be a great learning opportunity!
Q: What advice do you have for those who are graduating after the 2021 Challenge?/strong>
GC: We are in a massively turbulent time at the minute due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the aerospace industry is suffering, however, it will improve, it will just take some time. Resilience at all levels is really important at the minute, for organisations and individuals; I believe on a personal level having or developing a growth mindset is key.
As someone who had to contend with a downturn in the industry at the start of my career, I ended up working for a year outside of the engineering environment. This had positive and negative effects.
The positive was that I realised I really did want to be an engineer and what I perceived to be negative was that my engineering knowledge wasn’t as ‘fresh’ as the newly qualified graduates just finishing. However, when it came to the interview, I believe I demonstrated willingness to learn new skills and the transferable skills I had gained from outside the industry.
So no matter what happens after graduation, remember what you want to achieve, and if you don’t find something straight away keep looking and gain lots of transferable skills along the way.
Q: What would you say to any students who are thinking of joining the Challenge for the first time?
GC: Go for it! It is a fantastic learning experience and will give you an insight into the industry! Your UAS may or may not fly but think of all the knowledge you’ll gain in the process.
Thank you to Gillian for her time in answering our questions and more importantly for becoming the Deputy Judge for the UAS Challenge – see you at the fly off in 2021!