Young engineers conference 2026

Kalina is a Senior Engineer at Will Rudd specialising in sustainable, community-led structural design. Her work focuses on delivering resilient structures that place social impact at their core, creating spaces that enhance community wellbeing and environmental performance. As a dedicated STEM Ambassador and a member of the IStructE Scotland committee, Kalina is a prominent advocate for diversity. Through her extensive volunteering with programmes  such as STEMAZING and Girlguiding, as well as her outreach in schools and universities, she strives to widen participation and ensure the engineering profession truly reflects the diverse communities it serves.

Anna is a building Structural Engineer at Buro Happold in Leeds, working across refurbishment and new‑build projects. Alongside being a structural engineer, she serves on the IStructE Young Members Panel and co‑chairs since 2026, helping strengthen early‑career representation and shape the Institution’s future. Anna is driven by a commitment to sustainability, the circular economy, and material reuse, believing the industry must push harder to deliver a more responsible built environment. 

Matthew Petticrew is a chartered engineer with a broad range of experience, including the refurbishment and conservation of existing buildings. He is Technical Director, and UK Lead for Heritage Structures at WSP. He is also an Approved Certifier of Design for the Scottish Building Standards. Matthew is familiar with historic forms of construction and modern methods of assessment. This helps him to produce practical designs that are compatible with the current building regulations, while preserving the character of their existing structures. Matthew is currently refurbishing the Basil Spence Building at Glasgow Airport.

Prof Luke Bisby is Personal Chair of Fire and Structures within the School of Engineering at The University of Edinburgh. He has extensive experience of fire safety and structural engineering research and consultancy, instruction as expert witness, university teaching and administration, promotion of public understanding of science and engineering, and wide-ranging professional activities. His work has been particularly influential at the interface between structural engineering and fire safety engineering, and Luke advises industrial and government fire safety research organisations and regulatory bodies internationally on these and related matters. He is Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institutions of Fire Engineers and Structural Engineers, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He has appeared as presenter in a range of television and online engineering documentary programmes, including “Impossible Engineering”, “When Big Things Go Wrong”, and “Disaster Autopsy”.

Elspeth is a Senior Engineer at Mott MacDonald, and has over ten years experience working across different sectors of the construction industry, with a primary interest in computational modelling. Both in her career, and as a member of the IStructE Digital Workflow and Computational Design panel, Elspeth is passionate about promoting and integrating  novel digital design tools responsibly. Elspeth is a STEM Ambassador, and particularly enjoys mentoring young people who are considering or just starting their journey to joining an engineering profession.

Henry Duncomb is a Senior Structural Engineer at Expedition Engineering, with experience in the assessment and design of bridges and complex structures. He has worked on complex projects including modular station footbridges and urban developments, alongside low-carbon design initiatives. Henry is particularly interested in how innovative materials and collaborative design approaches can improve structural safety outcomes.

Michael is a highly experienced Chartered Structural and Civil Engineer with a wide range of experience across a number of sectors using various procurement routes, being involved at all stages from concept to implementation, demonstrating a “hands on” approach throughout. Michael has a broad experience of delivering sustainable structural solutions with a particular emphasis on low carbon design, design to Passivhaus and EnerPhitt Standards and BREEAM accreditation. He is currently responsible for leading Waterman’s Structural Teams in Scotland, and he is currently the Chair of the Scottish Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

With over 40 years in consultancy practice, including 18 years as an SER Certifier, and a long-standing involvement with the SER Scheme, Mark is currently Chair of the Scottish Registration Board who administer the technical aspects of the SER Certification Scheme in Scotland on Behalf of SER Ltd. Mark recognises that young Engineers are the key to the successful future of our profession, and sees competence and best practice in design as the best way forward in securing that future.  Mark also notes that any young Engineer employed in any Scottish based design office will find that SER Certification is a prominent feature of their daily working lives. 

Educated at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, Hazel has been immersed in maintenance, renewal and asset management of Highway structures for over 30 years, 20 years of this with Transport Scotland. Previous experience with Cumbria County Council and Capita Symonds in inspection, design and maintenance followed a PhD in ‘Temperature Effects in Concrete Box Girder Bridges’ and bridge design, inspection and assessment for Mott MacDonald. In Transport Scotland, Hazel leads a team of 20 staff managing the inspection, maintenance and improvement of Scottish Trunk Road structures. Hazel is also the current Chair of the UK Bridges Board and a Fellow of the ICE.