Dr Somara will be honoured with the Rooke Award, which bears the name of the esteemed industrial figure Sir Denis Rooke, at the Academy Awards dinner in London on 9 July.
Dr Somara has recently been named the host of "Masters of Reinvention," a new six-episode series on the Yesterday channel, part of UKTV Play, produced by Air TV. In this innovative series, she will delve into archived editions of Practical Mechanics magazine, historically a cornerstone for British inventors, and lead a team in modernising its classic designs for contemporary use.
Her recent publication, "Engineers Making a Difference," was released last year and has been shared with over 16,000 secondary schools throughout the UK, celebrating the diverse landscape of the engineering field. Dr Somara also develops and presents a variety of podcasts and digital content aimed at elevating underrepresented groups and women in STEM fields.
Over her 20-year career, Dr Somara has been a significant force in the engineering community, particularly in motivating young individuals and underrepresented groups to engage with STEM fields. Her popular YouTube series, "Crash Course Engineering" and "Crash Course Physics," have collectively attracted nearly 60 million views worldwide, effectively demystifying complex engineering topics and incorporating them into educational curricula to broaden their reach.
Dr Somara, a graduate of Brunel University London with a doctorate in computational fluid dynamics and a first-class honours degree in mechanical engineering, currently holds the position of Pro Chancellor at her alma mater. Her relentless dedication has paved the way for a more diverse and inclusive engineering sector and has enhanced public understanding of the discipline. She continues to advocate for the fusion of academic research and industry to advance innovative, mindful, and sustainable engineering practices through inclusivity.
In her nomination for the Rooke Award, Dawn Bonfield MBE FREng, Professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development at King’s College London, said: “Dr Shini Somara has worked consistently over 20 years to change the face of engineering. As a female engineer from an ethnic minority she has created multiple engagement mechanisms across multiple platforms to inspire our next generation of engineers, and the impact of her work has been significant and far-reaching.”
“Receiving the The Rooke Award is a huge honour and terrific recognition of my twenty-year engineering journey, which began with improving thermal building simulation and later evolved to improving the public perception of our sector as a whole. Sustainability drives me, both environmental and social. My work is partially guided by a deep academic interest but mostly steered by my own personal experiences in industry. Engineers are society’s unsung superheroes, and it is my hope that in communicating the good in what we do, we may inspire and welcome engineers of diverse and inclusive talent, to tackle the broad range of inevitable challenges that lay ahead," said Dr Somara.
