Helen Atkinson facts for kids

Dame Helen Valerie Atkinson DBE FREng was born on April 29, 1960. She is a very important leader at Cranfield University. She helps run the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, which teaches about planes, cars, and how things are made.

Before that, she was in charge of the Engineering Department at the University of Leicester. She also helped students who were doing advanced studies there. In 2010, she was named one of the UKRC's 'Women of Outstanding Achievement.' This means she was recognized for being a truly amazing woman in her field. Her picture was even shown in a special exhibition.

Dame Helen is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This is a big honor for engineers in the UK. She became a Fellow in 2007. She also served as a vice-president of the Academy from 2012 to 2014. In 2014, she joined their main board that makes decisions.

She received two special awards from the British Queen. In 2014, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Then, in 2021, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). These awards are given for great service to engineering and education.

Her Education and Studies

Dame Helen Atkinson is very smart and studied at top universities. She earned a first-class degree from Girton College, Cambridge. Her degree was in Metallurgy and Materials Science. This field is about studying metals and other materials to understand how they work. It also looks at how to make them stronger or more useful.

After Cambridge, she went to Imperial College London for her PhD. A PhD is a very high-level degree where you do original research. Her research was about how tiny parts of materials grow and change. She did this work at the Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell.

See also

In Spanish: Helen Atkinson para niños