“Engineering means being able to design to influence,” says Hilary. “Being a part of the profession means that I can positively influence the world around me, to better society and to move humanity towards a more sustainable existence.”
This attitude is clearly exemplified by one of her proudest career moments, where she was investigating the viability of reverse osmosis in developing countries, using a region in Bangladesh as a case study.
“I assisted in this pro bono project to establish the suitability of desalination within small communities, and helped publish a reference paper that addressed the advantages and disadvantages of desalination as a solution to water shortages in developing countries,” she says.
Now, Hilary would like to make it so water recycling infrastructure is inherent to the design of our urban spaces; and that pathways are so plentiful and well designed that people would prefer to cycle than drive their cars.
