Dr Somara holds an Engineering Doctorate in Computational Fluid Dynamics, after completing a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from Brunel University. In addition to her contribution to the building services industry, Shini has spent a significant proportion of her career communicating complex STEM topics through the media.
Shini is the author of seven STEM books, her latest publication is entitled "Engineers Making a Difference" which was donated free to every single secondary state school in the UK, thanks to the generous support of The Gatsby Foundation and Imperial College London.
She has also broadcasted a variety of science, technology and innovation stories on television on networks including the BBC, Sky, Al Jazeera, Discovery, UKTV and the Science Channel. Shini is also the host of PBS Digital's Crash Course Physics, which has amassed 58 million views and Crash Course Engineering (8 million views collectively), which are available on YouTube.
Dr Shini Somara creates accessible STEM content for audiences of all ages and expertise. She believes this is the key to increasing equality, diversity and inclusion within STEM. Throughout her own career, Shini has personally experienced the lack of women and ethnic minorities in STEM, particularly in engineering. She believes that this lack of diversity and inclusion is an obstacle to innovation and advancement.
As part of her efforts to tackle this challenge, Shini’s weekly podcast, Innervation, features inspiring and aspirational women in STEM who join her to share their experiences. As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Dr Somara delivered a speech to the United Nations in 2017 to highlight the importance of role models and mentors.
Speaking about her upcoming appearance at Loughborough’s Research Conference, Dr Somara said: “I can't wait to find out more about the innovations happening at Loughborough, I visited earlier this year and was thrilled with the engineering research I saw then. I'm sure I will be inspired again and look forward to learning about research from a wide range of disciplines!”
The conference takes place on 7 December from 9.30am-4.30pm. Aligned with the University’s Strategy, the theme of this year’s event is ‘Transforming our tomorrow. Together’. The theme aims to emphasise how high-quality research and innovation – conducted in partnership – can deliver meaningful impact to enhance our futures. It will also focus on the importance of engaging with continual professional development to support research and career aspirations.
For more information about the conference, including the schedule and how to book, please visit the dedicated event webpages.