STEMTalks: Questions for a Structural Engineer (& Author)
The AAAS STEMTalks is an interview series aiming to inspire youth by connecting them to real-life scientists and showcasing their incredible diversity of STEM careers.
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GET TO KNOW ROMA
Occupation: Engineer
Institution: AECOM
Focus: Structural Engineering
Roma Agrawal is the Associate Director for AECOM in London, England. However, she currently is on sabbatical working for the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Advisory Panel. She holds a bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Oxford and a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Imperial College London. Previously, Roma worked for WSP Group in London where she helped construct a dramatic tower that’s changed London’s skyline - the 306-meters (1,000-feet) tall Shard! She also is known for her book, Built, the winner of the 2019 AAAS/Subaru Book Prize in the Young Adult category. In her free time, Roma does dance, yoga, and weight training, and looks after her baby!
1. What do you do for work?
Roma and the Shard, she was one of the engineers on the project from 2006 till 2012.
I’m a structural engineer and author. Structural engineering is about making sure that buildings and bridges stand up! All our structures are subjected to a lot of forces all the time – like gravity and wind, and sometimes earthquakes. I use maths and physics to calculate these forces and make sure the skeletons of our structures are strong enough to resist them. I am also a writer, I love explaining exciting engineering projects to people.
2. When did you first become interested in your field?
I actually didn’t know I wanted to be an engineer till I was about 20! I loved maths and physics and studied physics at university. I was lucky to work alongside engineers one summer during my degree and loved it. I realized how it uses science to make real things and I was hooked.
3. What is your favorite part of being an engineer?
There are two main things I love about engineering: one is that I get to work with people all the time. I spend much of my day speaking to people about designs, solving problems and checking in with our clients. The second thing I love is watching my designs become real things – it's especially exciting when a project finishes!
4. What is a typical day like for you?
At the moment, I’m not doing engineering design, but rather writing about engineering. I wrote a book Built which was for older kids / adults, and am working on a children’s book now, which will be published in September 2021 and is called How Was That Built?
When I am working as an engineer, my days change between doing technical calculations, meeting architects and other engineers to develop design and visiting construction sites to check progress.
5. Do you have any advice for young people interested in science, or STEM fields, today?
Go for it! It’s a really exciting time to get into STEM, it’s these subjects that will help to solve problems like how to generate energy cleanly, grow enough food and building enough safe homes for people, as well as cure disease!
6. Why did you want to share your story through the book BUILT?
Engineering is such an exciting profession, and also is all around us and affects our day to day lives. I wanted everyone to understand their surroundings better, be curious about how their homes were built, and see the world through new eyes – the eyes of an engineer!
To Learn More:
Find the book, BUILT. She guides us through how construction has evolved from the mud huts of our ancestors to skyscrapers of steel that reach into the sky. You can also watch this short video series to explore more about the many hidden stories behind different structures described in the book.
Learn more from Roma on her own website! She has a Podcast, a video series, and more!
Listen to the Three moments that changed the world, according to Roma’s TED Talk.
The View from The Shard has announced the return of The Slide, an exhilarating 360° Virtual Reality experience created by leading content and technology production studio, Happy Finish.