Sarah Buck, of BSW Consulting (Exeter), will become the Institution of Structural Engineers’ (IStructE) 88th and first female president.

She will take office on 4 October 2007 and her presidential session will coincide with the Institution’s Centenary year.

On becoming the first woman president of IStructE, Sarah will also become the first woman president of any of the construction industry’s main international institutions. No stranger to firsts, Sarah was also the first girl from her high school to read engineering at university, and was elected as the first female member of the Institution’s Council in 1983.

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Sarah will outline her fresh perspective for IStructE in her inaugural address, entitled ‘Our Centenary and Beyond: Attract, Support, Enthuse’. This will celebrate the Institution’s distinguished heritage while looking ahead to its role for the next 100 years. Sarah’s objectives for IStructE are to attract the best people into the profession; support IStructE members and the wider construction industry; and enthuse the general public with passion and appreciation for the value of structural engineering.

Inauguration as IStructE President will top an exceptional year for Sarah. Earlier in 2007 she won the Award for Outstanding Achiever in the Civil Engineering category at the recent Atkins Inspire Awards, a new awards event aimed at recognising and rewarding exceptional women working in the UK built environment.

2007 also saw the successful launch of IStructE’s new Technician grade of membership, which Sarah had a lead role in developing and driving forward.

The new grade includes structural engineering technicians in IStructE’s membership base for the first time and implementing it has been a huge achievement.

The first technicians are due to be elected shortly.

(CD)