Words: Helena Morgan
Numerous national winners for the coveted categories of Project of the Year, Engineer of the Year and career awards were selected from a highly competitive pool of finalists who demonstrated excellence across criteria such as innovation, sustainability and community contribution.
Engineers Australia national president and board chair Dr Raj Aseervatham underscored engineering’s power to incite positive change.
“The industry today is more dynamic than ever – powered by cutting-edge technology, digital innovation and a leadership role in our communities,” he says. “It is a profession continually adapting to industry demands, evolving technologies and the regulatory landscape.”
As the national engineering body, Engineers Australia serves 132,000 members and provides resources and connections.
2024 award recipients
Claiming the prize for Project of the Year was the New Fitzroy River Bridge in Western Australia. The Fitzroy Bridge Alliance oversaw the delivery of the 11-month project that demolished and rebuilt the old bridge destroyed by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in January 2023. The jury applauded the project’s climate-responsive design and plight to bolster the social and economic development of the Fitzroy Valley.
Wood head of engineering for APAC West Jillian Formentin took out the prestigious Professional Engineer of the Year award. Formentin boasts a vast career background and has excelled in areas of gas safety and sustainability. She was instrumental in amending Western Australia’s gas fitting regulations and vows to achieve peak inclusivity and accessibility in all projects.
Additionally, honorary fellows were given to industry titans, including associate professor Sabaratnam Prathapan OAM, professor Murray Leslie Scott, Kate West and many others.
The Sydney Migrant Engineers Committee was honoured with the President’s Prize. The committee has operated for three years and helps newly arrived engineers with overseas qualifications – from refugee backgrounds – network and find connections and subsequent employment in Australia.
A wide range of stakeholders have forged partnerships with the committee, including the Institute of Engineering Sri Lanka, the Pakistan-Australia Engineering Association, Women in Engineering Sydney and Young Engineers Sydney.
Distinguished engineer Dr Marlene Kanga AO received the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal for shining as a global leader and “role model to women”.
Some of Kanga’s many achievements include spearheading the plight to commercialise Australian research in artificial intelligence and hydrogen technologies and reigning as president of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) for two years. She also hosted the very first INWES Asia Pacific Nation Network held this year, a conference that uplifts the contributions of women in STEM across Asia.
This story first appeared on FM.
