Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS FMedSci FINAE, is to receive one of the most prestigious awards from the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of her contribution to the academy’s work.
Baroness Brown has helped to advance engineering’s contribution to environmental sustainability and supported the next generation of engineers through her work in education. She will receive the President’s Medal at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 23 September.
Baroness Brown is a celebrated engineer and Crossbench Member of the House of Lords. As Chair of the Committee on Climate Change’s Adaptation Committee and a former Chair of the Carbon Trust, she has established herself as a leading voice in the drive to combat climate change and in promoting responsible policymaking.
She also chairs the Academy’s Green Future Fellowship Steering Group – a programme that supports academics, entrepreneurs and innovators to develop and scale up their breakthrough climate solutions. She has led the design and delivery of this landmark programme, funded by a unique government endowment, that is helping to establish a new standard of sustained support for pioneering engineering innovation.
Baroness Brown has been an incredibly influential figure on our national climate policy, advancing engineering’s contributions to environmental sustainability. Her work across academia, industry and as a public servant has made a huge impact and her dedication to supporting engineering innovation and research has made her an invaluable asset to our industry and the country.
Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President, Royal Academy of Engineering
Baroness Brown’s engineering experience started at a young age in the 1960s, when she gave her home electrical appliances make-do-and-mend fixes. She went on to earn a first-class degree from the University of Cambridge in 1975, followed by a PhD in fracture mechanics. In 1987, she became the first Royal Academy of Engineering senior research fellow.
She has since served in a range of senior roles in academia and industry including Engineering Director for the Rolls-Royce Marine business and Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, where she led the mission to widen participation and increase opportunities for students who may not have considered university. She was also an inaugural member of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and is a former member of the World Economic Forum Automotive Council.
Working in academia highlighted to her the importance of conducting science and engineering with a positive impact on the world, and climate change has been a particular focus for her. Baroness Brown was a Non-Executive Director of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult for 6 years, and Sector Champion for the Offshore Wind Sector Deal under the coalition government. She led the King Review on decarbonising road transport which informed the development of the UK’s first four carbon budgets. She now sits on the boards of Orsted, Ceres Power and Frontier IP and is a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
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