Sue Ion Explained

Dame Sue Ion
Birth Name:Susan Elizabeth Burrows
Birth Date:1955 2, df=yes
Workplaces:Royal Academy of Engineering
Nuclear Institute
Imperial College London
University of Manchester
British Nuclear Fuels[1]
Education:Penwortham Girls Grammar School
Alma Mater:Imperial College London (BSc, PhD)
Thesis Title:Dynamic recrystallisation in a magnesium alloy
Thesis Url:http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.450313

Dame Susan Elizabeth Ion (;[2] née Burrows; born 3 February 1955) is a British engineer and an expert advisor on the nuclear power industry.[3] [4] [5]

Ion was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2012 for contributions to nuclear fuel development.

Early life and education

Born on 3 February 1955 in Cumbria,[6] she is the daughter of Lawrence James Burrows, a planning officer for British Rail, and Doris Burrows (née Cherry), a secretary.

Ion was educated at Penwortham Girls Grammar School near Preston, Lancashire in the same year as Nancy Rothwell. As a young student, she enjoyed science, which her parents encouraged by letting her do chemistry experiments in the family's kitchen.

At school, she took a leadership role as Head Girl from 1972 to 1973 and deputy leader of the orchestra. At 16, Ion won a book on atomic energy as a prize for her O-levels in science, which helped inspire her enthusiasm for the topic.[7] She recalled, "When I was in school ... it was quite different. You were given every encouragement possible to do science subjects if you were interested in them".[6]

Ion went on to study Materials Science at Imperial College London, where she gained a first-class honours degree in 1976,[8] and subsequently a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science in 1979, supervised by F.J. Humphreys and S.H. White.[9]

She taught in an inner-city school in London while completing her doctorate and used supplies from the college laboratories in her lessons to help students become enthusiastic about the industry. "Where there is no vision ... the people perish", she says.

Career and research

In 1979, Ion was first hired as a technical officer at British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). At the time, she and one other woman were the only females working in the chemical engineering department.

In 1992, she was promoted to Executive Director of Technology, a position Ion held within the organisation until 2006.[10] [11]

During this time, nuclear or atomic energy was viewed as a valuable source of energy, along with the existing coal industry, and a necessary part of rebuilding post-war Britain. It was, according to Ion, an exciting industry with a vibrant research and development program and great prospects. As she told Jim Al-Khalili in a 2013 interview for BBC Radio Four, "Nothing over time has changed my view of that".

As technical director of BNFL, Ion held a seat on Tony Blair's Council for Science and Technology and has been credited with persuading Blair to change Labour's official government's policy on nuclear power.[11] [12]

Ion's work, along with David King, took about 10 years of educating government officials to consider the scientific evidence surrounding the issues of nuclear power and renewable energy to inform policy. She helped advise Gordon Brown on long-term energy policies.[10]

In 2004, Ion was among 180 women invited to a "Women's Theme Day" luncheon at Buckingham Palace in recognition of her contributions to the field of science and technology.[13] [14] [15]

Ion was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 1996 and was a vice-president from 2002 to 2008.[16]

In 2006, Ion was appointed visiting professor of Imperial College[10] [6] [11] and admitted to the Fellowship of the college in 2005.[17]

Nuclear power and renewable energy

Ion has studied energy supplies for more than 30 years. She spent a lot of time early in her career advising government officials about nuclear reactors and countering the negativity caused by the incidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

Ion supports the development of smaller, modular versions of nuclear reactors for their economy of size, portability and cost. These smaller reactors would, most likely, be housed on existing nuclear sites licensed for that purpose.[18]

Ion views her biggest challenge is "persuading decades-worth of politicians that nuclear energy is really needed."[7] Her position is that renewable energy sources (particularly wind power), coal and nuclear power will be necessary components of Britain's energy policy moving forward.[19] [20]

Science education and gender stereotypes

In Ion's outreach as a spokesperson for the nuclear power industry, she has expressed a belief that more needs to be done to attract women into the field of engineering.[21] She has expressed concerns that some areas of the educational system still view engineering as a subject only for males.[6]

While major institutions may support the idea of females entering the field of science and engineering, Ion notes that grade schools under the current system may not provide the prerequisite coursework early enough in students' academic careers for them to be successful at university.[6]

Ion supports educational programs that support all students, regardless of gender, to explore science and develop the skills necessary to replace what the Royal Academy of Engineering views as a retiring workforce. In response to a report commissioned by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) discussing the UK's plans for future energy production, she cautions: "There will be an unprecedented demand for new infrastructure to support the changes in the energy industry. There are not enough people going into university to study engineering and provide all the turbine specialists, heavy electrical engineers and construction engineers that will be required".[22] [23]

Committee service

Selected publications

Keynotes and interviews

Personal life

She married John Albert Ion in 1980 and lives in Leyland, Lancashire.[39]

Honours

Ion was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours[40] and Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to engineering. She represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation.[41]

Scholastic

Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships
LocationDateSchoolPosition
2006Present Visiting Professor[42]
2004Present Governor
2005Present Honorary Fellow[43]
2007Present
2011Present
Honorary degrees
LocationDateSchoolDegreeGave commencement address
2011 Doctor of Science (D.Sc) Yes[44]
21 July 2017 Doctor of Science (D.Sc) Yes[45] [46] [47]
November 2017 Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng) Yes[48]

Memberships and fellowships

LocationDateInstitutionPosition
1996Present Fellow (FREng)[49]
2012Present International Member[50]
2016Present Fellow (FRS)[51]
18 November 2016Present Honorary Fellow (FIMechE)[52]
Honorary Fellow (HonFInstP)[53]
Fellow (FIMMM)

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Royal Institution of Great Britain. 8 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120308035309/http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayContent&id=00000001554. dead. dmy-all.
  2. Web site: Woman's Hour Power List, Woman's Hour – Dame Sue Ion. BBC Radio 4. 2015-09-23.
  3. http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/newsletters/summer-newsletter-2009 Profile of Sue Ion
  4. Web site: BBC Radio 4 – Woman's Hour, Woman's Hour Power List – Dame Sue Ion. 2014-10-14.
  5. Why we cannot keep the lights on without nuclear energy (Blog post for The Independent)
  6. Web site: Pitman. Jenny. Woman's Hour: Jenny Pitman; Sue Ion goes back to school. BBC. 2015-08-31. 5 April 2013.
  7. News: Pozniak. Helena. Great minds don't all think alike: Current heroes of STEM prove that ideas can come in any shape or form, finds Helena Pozniak. The Sunday Telegraph. 26 October 2014. London, UK. 8.
  8. https://www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk/about-pghs/alumnae/dame-sue-ion/ Alumnae: Dame Sue Ion
  9. PhD. Susan Elizabeth. Burrows. Dynamic recrystallisation in a magnesium alloy. Imperial College London. 1979. imperial.ac.uk. . 10044/1/7335. 930652385.
  10. News: Zolfagharifard. Ellie. Dame Sue Ion, veteran nuclear fuels expert. 2015-08-23. The Engineer. 4 May 2010.
  11. News: Pagano. Margareta. If Engineering is hot, will it expand to meet demand for new recruits?. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/if-engineering-is-hot-will-it-expand-to-meet-demand-for-new-recruits-9774251.html . 25 May 2022 . subscription . live. 2015-08-22. The Independent. 4 October 2014. London, UK. 48.
  12. News: 100 Makers of the 21st Century: Welcome to the second of a three-part special, featuring 25 more of the 100 most influential Britons of the modern age: the people who, for better or worse, are shaping our lives. Sunday Times. 15 March 2014. London, UK. 26.
  13. News: Buckingham Palace women's lunch. The Times. Final 2 Edition. 12 March 2004. London (UK). 44.
  14. News: Lunch with the high achievers. The Guardian. 12 March 2004. London (UK). 13.
  15. News: Jobson. Robert. All the Queen's women; 180 attend special lunch at the Palace. 2015-08-22. London Evening Standard. 11 March 2004. London (UK). 2.
  16. Web site: Sue Ion. WES. 2015-09-20. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150925010639/http://www.wes.org.uk/content/sue-ion. 25 September 2015. dmy-all.
  17. Web site: Imperial College London bestows its highest honours in Commemoration Day ceremony. Imperial.ak.uk. Imperial College London. 2015-09-18. 26 October 2005.
  18. News: Pfeifer. Sylvia. Flexible Fission: Nuclear. 2015-09-17. Financial Times. 15 February 2013. London, UK. 9.
  19. News: Anonymous. Sue Ion: Age 55. No. 96 – Gone Nuclear. The Times. 7 October 2010. London, UK. 48.
  20. News: Finnigan. Kate. Salter. Kate. Brett. Gillian. 100 most powerful women in Britain: From the towering figures of law, medicine and politics to the familiar faces of television, film and fashion, we reveal the women who wield the most influence – visibly or invisibly – over our lives today. 30 December 2017. The Sunday Telegraph. 14 November 2010. London, UK. 36.
  21. News: Hodges. Lucy. Survival of the fittest, or an old boys' club?. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/survival-of-the-fittest-or-an-old-boys-club-9169696.html . 25 May 2022 . subscription . live. 2015-08-31. The Independent. Foreign edition. 14 February 2002. London, UK. 2–3.
  22. News: Hotten. Russell. Reaction intentions are good, but can it deliver in time, asks the critics. The Daily Telegraph. 24 May 2007. London, UK. 005.
  23. News: Leake. Jonathan. Switching on to the nuclear option. Sunday Times. Final 1 Edition. 26 November 2006. London, UK. 15.
  24. News: More women needed in IT, Science, Maths and Engineering Professions. 2015-08-31. Targeted News Service. 6 February 2015. Washington, D.C..
  25. News: Lipsett. Anthea M.. Education: Higher: Show me the money: The government's top scientific advisory board is relaunched for the third time after a series of failures. Anthea M. Lipsett says the new team has a lot to prove. The Guardian. 16 March 2004. London, UK. 24.
  26. News: Three British companies compete for prestitious engineering prize. 2015-08-22. The Daily Telegraph. 21 May 2015. London, UK.
  27. Web site: Dr Dame Sue Ion, FREng. University of Cumbria. 2015-09-18.
  28. Ion . S. . Kane . G. . For and against . Engineering & Technology . 1 September 2011 . 6 . 8 . 24–25 . 10.1049/et.2011.0822 .
  29. News: Ion. Sue. The UK must take the lead on carbon capture and storage. Financial Times. 18 September 2008. London (UK). 16.
  30. Ion . Sue . Nuclear energy: current situation and prospects to 2020 . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences . February 2007 . 365 . 1853 . 935–944 . 10.1098/rsta.2006.1958 . 17272242 . 25190480 . 2007RSPTA.365..935I . 26019196 .
  31. News: Ion. Sue. South Africa nuclear project arousing US interest. Financial Times. 1st Edition. 10 February 2005. London (UK). 16.
  32. News: Ion. Sue. BNFL reactor far ahead on efficiency and safety. Financial Times. London Edition. 13 June 2000. London (UK). 28.
  33. Web site: Question, Explore, Discover. QEDcon.org. 2015-09-18. April 2015.
  34. News: Managing the Skills Transition to Nuclear New Build. 2015-09-17. Targeted News Service. 1 April 2014. Washington, D.C..
  35. News: Nuclear Safety Makes Encouraging Progress. 2015-09-17. Targeted News Service. 28 August 2013. Washington, D.C..
  36. News: Reynolds. Gillian. Radio Choice. The Daily Telegraph. 26 February 2013. 30. London (UK).
  37. Web site: The Infinite Monkey Cage: Risk (Series 9, episode 1). BBC. 2015-09-17. 17 November 2013.
  38. Web site: Nuclear power: a solution to climate change or a victim of its history? – Dr. Sue Ion debates the future of nuclear energy. Imperial College. 2015-09-18. 21 May 2004.
  39. News: Taylor. Jeremy. The lights will go out if we don't go nuclear: Dame Sue Ion, 58, one of the UK's top nuclear experts and a government adviser, talks about her unswerving commitment to nuclear power – whatever the opposition. https://web.archive.org/web/20140402124311/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/a_life_in_the_day/article1362903.ece. dead. 2 April 2014. 2015-08-31. Sunday Times. 19 January 2014. London, UK. 66.
  40. Web site: Order of the British Empire Appointments 31 December 2009 . The London Gazette . 2 June 2022 . en.
  41. News: Coronation order of service in full . BBC News . 5 May 2023 . 6 May 2023.
  42. Web site: Dame Sue Ion . The Penwortham Girls' High School . 2 June 2022 . en.
  43. Web site: Honorary Awards . The University of Central Lancashire . 2 June 2022 . en.
  44. Web site: Honorary Graduates . The University of Lancaster . 2 June 2022 . en.
  45. Web site: Honorary Awards . Edge Hill University . 2 June 2022 . en.
  46. Web site: UK's foremost female nuclear engineer collects honorary degree . Edge Hill University . 2 June 2022 . en.
  47. Web site: Honorary doctor inspires women to think about a career in engineering . Edge Hill University . 2 June 2022 . en.
  48. Web site: Honorary Graduates 2017 . The University of Chester . 18 March 2019 . 2 June 2022 . en.
  49. Web site: List of Fellows . The Royal Academy of Engineering . 2 June 2022 . en.
  50. Web site: Dr. Susan Elizabeth Ion . The National Academy of Engineering . 2 June 2022 . en.
  51. Web site: Sue Ion's Royal Society Fellowship Biography . The Royal Society . 2 June 2022 . en.
  52. Web site: Dame Sue Ion inducted as an Honorary Fellow . The Institution of Mechanical Engineers . 2 June 2022 . en.
  53. Web site: Honorary Fellows: Dame Sue Ion . The Institute of Physics . 2 June 2022 . en.
  54. Web site: 2014-2017 winners . The Royal Academy of Engineering . 2 June 2022 . en.

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