IChemE Past President Dame Judith Hackitt to receive prestigious engineering award
3rd July 2024
IChemE Past President Dame Judith Hackitt DBE FREng CEng FIChemE has been named as the 2024 recipient of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s President’s Medal.
A chemical engineer by profession, and an internationally recognised safety expert, Dame Judith has made many significant contributions in chemical and systems engineering and engineering safety. The most notable of these was in 2017, where she led an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety after the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.
Awarded the prize for her contribution to the Royal Academy of Engineering’s work in promoting engineering excellence, she said: “Feeling both proud and humbled to be the recipient of the RAEng President’s Medal this year. Like many engineers I do what I do because of my passion to make the world a better place, but it feels very special to be recognised for that.”
Sir Jim McDonald, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Dame Judith has made enormous contributions to chemical and systems engineering and to engineering safety over many years. She has served the country as chair of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive and has an unrivalled record of service to society through her advocacy for the process and manufacturing industries, her holistic approach to culture change and to the promotion of the engineering profession.”
Dame Judith will be awarded the President’s Medal at the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Academy Awards Dinner in London on Tuesday 9 July.
Notes for editors
Dame Judith Hackitt - Biography
Dame Judith Hackitt served as IChemE President from 2013–2014. A former Chair of the Health and Safety Executive and Make (UK), Dame Judith is an IChemE Fellow, a Fellow and Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and currently chairs the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.
She is also the Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Steering Group for the Safer Complex Systems programme, which supports researchers and engineers to identify and mitigate risks in complex engineering systems.
Contact
For more information please contact:
Ann Baylis, Communications Executive and PR Lead, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534477
e: abaylis@icheme.org
Dan Owens, Communications Executive, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534458
e: dowens@icheme.org
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Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, mathematics, and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Energy, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the industry sectors and products where chemical engineering plays a central role.
IChemE
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution for the benefit of society. We facilitate the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 30,000 members in more than 100 countries.
We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation permitted to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.