Alumna star shines brightly with industry honour

The Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) graduate was amongst a select group of female innovators and leaders named as one of the ‘40 under 40 Women in Tech’ by Girls in Tech Taiwan, announced on International Women’s Day (Wednesday 8 March).

“I am pleasantly surprised by the award as I hadn’t expected to make the list,” said Ms Chen.

“It’s good to see women recognised in technology, as it’s definitely a rewarding career offering challenges, excitement and the opportunity to tangibly build a better future.

“Technology is a great career path for women, and I hope this list will encourage more women to pursue working in this industry.”

Ms Chen is currently a Senior Systems Engineer at French multinational, Thales Group and part of the engineering team working on the $1.3 billion Hawkei program that will deliver the next generation of armoured vehicles to be used by global defence forces.

Her specific focus is an open architecture integrated communications and computing system.

The faculty ‘Young Alumna of the Year’ (2014) is also a Board Director at the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering, Australia’s premier independent think-tank on science, technology and innovation.

She previously chaired Young Engineers Australia Sydney and deputy-chaired the Australian Society for Defence Engineering (NSW).

Ms Chen admits she was drawn to the University of Sydney and the faculty by its reputation for excellence in her field of research, as well its ability to provide the industry-specific skills to become an electrical engineer.

“The Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) offered me the chance to focus on antennas and radio frequency – two specific areas of interest taught by professors I really wanted to collaborate with,” said Ms Chen.

“I learnt practical skills, such as how to build rapid prototypes, design experiments and conduct research independently, which complemented my coursework.

“The degree prepared me for a career after university and also taught me the importance of self-discipline and being self-driven.”

Girls in Tech is a global non-profit organisation that currently has more than 50,000 members across 60 local chapters internationally, including Taiwan, serving to support the career advancement of women within STEM fields.