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Protecting satellite signals and solving pipeline problems from a Notts lab: The stories behind award-winning female engineers

Two Nottingham women have made it onto a list of the most influential female engineers in the UK. Both are seen as examples to follow in an industry which has always struggled to attract female talent. Amy Taylor spoke to two people whose research could help bring about crucial change in the world.

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Tasneem Yousif thinks her path into engineering started at a very young age.

While other children were playing with toy cars by pushing them around, instead she would be taking them apart and putting them back together again, just to see how they worked.

Similarly, Keziah Magit was also always interested in the workings of everyday objects. As they got older, the journey into engineering for both was shaped by a drive to make a real difference in the world.

Now, the two researchers from the University of Nottingham have been recognised in the top 50 Women in Engineering Awards 2025, hosted by the Women’s Engineering Society.

Tasneem Keziah were both selected for their contributions to innovative engineering research and their involvement in projects outside of the lab, including outreach schemes.

Both are currently completing their PhDs in engineering. At the Nottingham Geospatial Institute, Tasneem is developing a new method for detecting and finding radio frequency interference which affects satellite navigation systems.

At the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Keziah is investigating how gasses and liquid behave when flowing through pipe bends, to improve the efficiency and safety.

For Tasneem, using work to solve real-world problems means improving how we protect vital satellite navigation systems from both intentional and accidental interferences.

She explains the global navigation satellite system, more commonly known as the global positioning system (GPS), is now very important to humanity, supporting everything from aviation and the military to mobile communications and banking. However, the signals transmitted from satellites in space to receivers on earth are vulnerable to interference.

Sometimes these interferences are caused deliberately by people using jamming devices, emitting false signals to confuse or block satellite reception, which can endanger the security and safety of humans.

An example of this is how these jamming devices are often used in illegal activity. This can include preventing vehicle tracking devices from functioning, disabling security cameras or blocking emergency calls, which can significantly delay response times to critical situations, potentially leading to loss of life.

Tasneem, 28, said: “During my early research, I discovered how vulnerable these systems are and how limited our current tools are for monitoring interference at a global scale. That’s what drove me to design a space-based solution, capable of detecting and locating these interferences in near real-time.”

Keziah’s passion lies in designing safer, more efficient, and more reliable pipeline systems. The 36-year-old’s research involves looking at how liquid and gas move together through curved sections of pipelines. These kinds of flows are called gas-liquid two-phase flows and are very common in industries like oil and gas, chemical processing, and energy transport.

She said: “When these fluids move through bends in pipelines, they can create slugs, surges, or uneven flow patterns that can damage equipment, reduce efficiency, or even lead to safety risks.”

Her research focuses on how viscosity – or thickness of a substance – affects this behaviour and involves conducting controlled experiments to understand the flow dynamics and identify patterns that can inform better designs.

What makes this work so valuable is its practical application. The insights gained can help industries reduce energy losses, prevent equipment damage, and improve operational safety.

As well as their research work, both are engaged in outreach activities, in which they try to create a space where all women and the underrepresented feel welcomed.

Tasneem said: “I know firsthand how powerful it is to see someone who looks like you doing something you dream of. Growing up, I didn’t always see women — especially from my background — represented in fields like space engineering or signal processing. That’s why I believe visibility matters.”

Engineering is still largely a male-dominated field that underrepresents minorities. Figures from 2024 show only 16.9 per cent of the engineering workforce were women, compared with 56 per cent across other occupations. This has directly affected both Tasneem and Keziah – both have felt underestimated in the past. 

Keziah said: “I’ve had moments where I felt the need to prove myself more or navigate unconscious bias. But instead of letting that discourage me, it’s fuelled my passion to help create a space for others, especially women and underrepresented groups.”

Tasneem says after her undergraduate degree, various jobs she was interested in explicitly advertised that they were only looking for men to fill their roles. The engineering industry can also be very demanding, often causing many to struggle in balancing their work and home life. This has been a particular challenge for Keziah.

She said: “One of the most significant challenges was becoming a mother just a few months into my PhD journey. While I was fortunate to take maternity leave, returning to research while adjusting to motherhood required a great deal of balance, resilience, and time management.”

For Tasneem and Keziah, engineering isn’t just about solving technical problems, its about navigating systems that haven’t always made space for them and ensuring women stand out in an industry dominated by men.

Tasneem said: “It’s about changing culture, breaking barriers, and ensuring that diverse voices are part of shaping the future of science and technology.”