Women in Engineering: Celebrating Our 2026 Scholarship Recipients

The University of Wolverhampton is proud to announce the award of its 2026 Women in Engineering Scholarships to two outstanding students: Alex Hutton, studying Mechanical Engineering BEng, and Amélie Collins, studying Motorsport Engineering. Each recipient receives £1,000 to support their studies and help shape the engineers of tomorrow.

These scholarships, made possible through the generous support of a local charitable trust and West Midlands-based solicitors FBC Manby Bowdler, form part of a long-standing commitment to tackling the gender imbalance in engineering, a profession where more than 80% of the workforce is still male. Since the programme began six years ago, 19 scholarships have been awarded, with recipients going on to build careers at companies such as Pro-Drive and Baker-Bellfield, and as far afield as Nigeria.

Alex Hutton — Mechanical Engineering BEng 

For Alex, engineering was always a calling. A natural curiosity about how things work,  taking them apart, rebuilding them, figuring out what makes them tick, combined with a love of maths and physics, made Mechanical Engineering the obvious path.

Now in her studies, Alex has discovered a new passion: biomedical engineering. Through her exploration of materials science, she has begun to see how engineering principles can be applied directly to human health; and it is a field she hopes to build her career in.

Her scholarship will support something equally exciting: a visit to the Three Gorges Dam on China’s Yangtze River, the world’s largest hydroelectric power station and a towering achievement of modern engineering. For an engineer-in-the-making, it is the kind of experience that cannot be found in a textbook.

Amélie Collins — Motorsport Engineering

Amélie’s passion for engineering started where it does for many in the motorsport world, with a love of cars. But rather than simply enjoying them, she wanted to understand them from the inside out: the mechanics, the engineering, the marginal gains that can make the difference between winning and losing.

Her ambitions are precise and purposeful: to work as a race mechanic and to design and develop components that genuinely improve performance on track. With motorsport engineering as her foundation, Amélie is already thinking like an engineer: focused, practical, and driven.

Building a More Diverse Future

Aman Dhir, Head of the Engineering Department at the University of Wolverhampton, expressed his pride in this year’s recipients:

“I am delighted that we continue to champion and promote women in engineering through opportunities such as this scholarship. This year’s recipients are truly deserving winners. Both students have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, exceptional engineering competence, and an unwavering commitment to their discipline. Their achievements serve as an inspiration to future generations of women entering the engineering profession.”

Neil Lloyd, Managing Director at FBC Manby Bowdler, reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to the programme:

“We have a long-standing relationship with the University of Wolverhampton Race Team and the School of Engineering in Telford. We offer these scholarships because we all understand the importance and benefits of having a diverse workforce, and hopefully these scholarships will provide much-needed support for the students. The engineering sectors can provide excellent careers, and this is our way of giving something back.”

Previous recipients have used their scholarships to fund research trips, purchase textbooks, laptops and software, and take part in activities such as the University of Wolverhampton Racing team experiences that build not just knowledge, but confidence and community.

Alex and Amélie represent exactly the kind of bold, curious, and determined engineers that the industry needs more of. The University of Wolverhampton congratulates them both, and looks forward to following their journeys.

Applications for future Women in Engineering Scholarships are welcomed from female students beginning engineering courses at the University of Wolverhampton.