KATIE Marshall of Mandurah is proof that women can succeed in male-dominated fields.
The 22-year-old chemical engineer has dominated Curtin University’s fourth-year engineering prizes, taking out three awards including top student and most innovative research project.
She has just also landed a Graduate Chemical Engineer role at Alcoa’s Wagerup Refinery.
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READ NOWKatie is no stranger to Alcoa.
As a high school graduate, she took out Alcoa’s Bev Corless Memorial Scholarship which helped fund her engineering studies.
Her interest was further sparked during a tour of the company’s bauxite mining and alumina refining operations in WA during her third year at university.
She also worked with flocculation expert Andrew Owen at Alcoa’s Centre of Excellence in Kwinana to complete her final year research project which was awarded most innovative research project for Curtin’s Chemical Engineering Department.
“Engineering is very creative as it gives you the chance to think outside the box and come up with solutions that don’t yet exist,’’ she said.
“You can also research and discover brand new ideas or pursue ideas further.
“I chose chemical engineering because I really liked working with processes.”
She encouraged other females to consider a career in traditionally male-dominated fields including the resources sector.
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