Ann Dowling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame Ann Dowling
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Dowling in 2011
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Ann Patricia Dowling
15 July 1952 |
| Alma mater | Girton College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Silent Aircraft Initiative |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas Paul Hynes |
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| Thesis | Acoustic Sources in Motion (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Ffowcs Williams |
Dame Ann Patricia Dowling (born 15 July 1952) is a famous British mechanical engineer. She studies how to make engines more efficient and less polluting. She also works on reducing noise from cars, trucks, and airplanes.
Dowling is a top professor at the University of Cambridge. She was the first woman professor in engineering there in 1993. From 2014 to 2019, she led the Royal Academy of Engineering. She was the first woman to be president of this important group.
Contents
Becoming an Engineer
Early Schooling and University
Ann Dowling went to Ursuline Convent School in Kent. Later, she studied at the University of Cambridge. She first studied mathematics.
Studying Noise
After a summer job, she decided to focus on engineering. She earned her PhD in 1978. Her special area was aeroacoustics, which is the study of noise from aircraft. Her research helped solve noise problems for the Concorde airplane.
Ann Dowling's Work
Research and Teaching
Most of Ann Dowling's career has been at the University of Cambridge. She started there as a research fellow in 1977. She has also visited other famous universities. These include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the United States.
Leading Important Projects
Dowling helps decide how research is judged in the UK. She was also a board member for BP, a big energy company. She joined their board in 2012.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Ann Dowling has received many important awards for her work. These awards show how much her engineering research is valued.
Key Memberships
- In 1996, she became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This means she is recognized as a top engineer.
- In 2003, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists.
- In 2008, she was chosen as an international member of the National Academy of Engineering in the US. This was for her work on noise and how she led research between companies and universities.
- In 2017, she was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering. This is a big honor, and she joined other famous people like Bill Gates.
Important Leadership Roles
- In 2013, she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC Radio 4.
- She supports the Women's Engineering Society (WES). This group encourages women to become engineers.
- From 2014 to 2019, she was the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She led a review in 2015 about how businesses and universities can work together better on research.
Special Honors and Medals
- She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002.
- She was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007. This means she can use "Dame" before her name.
- In 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Merit. This is a very special award given by the King or Queen for outstanding service.
- She received the James Watt International Gold Medal in 2016. This was for her work on making engines cleaner and quieter.
- In 2018, she received an honorary degree from Royal Holloway, University of London.
- In 2019, she was awarded the Royal Medal.
