Dafne Gaviria Arcila, a second year mechanical engineering doctoral student at the University of Nottingham, has been awarded the prestigious Amelia Earhart Fellowship from Zonta International for her work in enhancing the performance of the new generation of aero-engines.
Her research studies the thermo-physical behaviour of tiny oil droplets that lubricate and cool jet engine components.
This helps to shape our understanding of the evaporation of oil within the core of aircraft engines, therefore improving their reliability and safety. This expertise is expected to have an impact on the design of future engines for aircraft and on the wider aerospace industry.
Dafne said, ‘I am very excited, proud and thankful for being honoured with this Fellowship. Zonta International has motivated me to pursue my dreams. I am keen to encourage more women to get involved in aerospace-related engineering and science. I truly believe that any one of us can become the next Amelia Earhart.’
Dafne is based in the Gas Turbine and Transmissions Research Centre (G2TRC), which develops new technologies and analysis methods that add to the understanding of existing and future gas turbine core and transmissions architectures. The research carried out at the Centre contributes to work done at the University’s Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT).
Speaking about Dafne’s success, Professor Hervé Morvan, Director of IAT and Head of Group for G2TRC said, ‘I am delighted that Dafne has been awarded the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. The new generation of aero-engines must deliver better performance, increase fuel efficiency, reduce lifecycle costs and meet increasingly stringent environmental targets. Dafne’s expertise and cutting-edge research provide us with a competitive advantage in aero-engine design, but more importantly, it places us at the forefront of tackling real-world engineering challenges.’
Dr Kathy Simmons, Course Director for Aerospace Engineering added, “My congratulations go out to Dafne. It is great to see women engineers being recognised with such a prestigious award. Our aerospace engineering courses are designed to be supportive and inspirational and we look forward to seeing the future success of our graduates.”
Mexican-born Dafne is open to opportunities which will enable her to apply the knowledge and experience she has gained at Nottingham and she hopes to lead the way for more women in engineering.
The Amelia Earhart Fellowship of US$10,000 is awarded annually to 35 talented women, pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace-related sciences or aerospace-related engineering around the globe.
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