The importance of encouraging more women to consider a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) will be discussed at Loughborough University next month.

Engineer, TV and radio presenter Kate Bellingham will lead an open lecture on ‘Tech versus Talent in Tomorrow’s World’ as part of the University’s second Claudia Parsons Memorial Lecture on Monday 18 May at 6pm.

Kate campaigns for more women and girls to be given the opportunity to be involved in STEM. With so few women choosing engineering or the physical sciences in this country, she believes that the UK is missing out on nearly half of the available talent.

Kate, who has a degree in physics, was a presenter of the BBC’s former flagship science and technology programme Tomorrow’s World for four years and is a former Patron of WISE – Women into Science and Engineering. Kate is also the recipient of a UKRC Women of Outstanding Achievement Award for Communicating Science, Engineering and Technology to Society.

“As a champion for girls’ opportunities in engineering and technology, I’m passionate that young women, and their influencers, are made aware of the doors opened by studying STEM subjects,” she said.

“I have seen 25 years’ worth of predictions for ‘tomorrow’s technology’ and by using the ‘internet of things’ as an example, I will show the importance of skilled and talented people in creating the future.”

The series of lectures has been launched as part of the Athena SWAN initiative, a national programme that recognises the need to support the careers of women in STEM subjects.

Claudia Parsons was a student at Loughborough College from 1919-22, and was one of the first women to receive a diploma in Automobile Engineering. She became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car and wrote about her experience in a number of influential travel books.

Professor Steve Rothberg, chair of Loughborough’s Athena SWAN self-assessment team, said: “Surveys show incredibly high levels of satisfaction among women in the STEM workforce, but the gender gap is way too wide. At Loughborough, we are working hard to close the gap because women are missing out on rewarding careers and science is missing out on some incredible talent.

“Kate is a respected supporter of women in STEM and we are delighted to welcome her to campus for our Claudia Parsons Memorial Lecture. We hope that Kate will help us to inspire young women to pursue the careers in STEM that are so critical to our future prosperity.”

The open lecture will take place in the University’s Stewart Mason Building, Room 0.14. Booking is essential. Register your attendance here.