June 21, 2019, by Katie Andrews

#INWED19: Longtong Dafyak

To mark International Women in Engineering Day on Sunday 23 June, we spoke to some of the inspirational women here at the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering.

Introducing…

Longtong Dafyak

PhD Student 

Fluids and thermal Engineering research group 

 

What inspired you into your career in engineering? 

My dad was my first inspiration. He is an engineer who really loves fixing things. As a young girl, watching him get things working triggered my curiosity. My interest in knowing how things work, the breadth of opportunities in engineering and my love for pushing boundaries to create improvements sustained this ambition.  

What project(s) are you working on at the moment? 

I am researching multiphase flow. My focus is on investigating how the properties of fluids influence flow behaviour. It entails identifying key flow parameters, developing flow models and accounting for the energy penalty associated to fluid flow in such systems.  

What impact is expected from the projects you are working on? 

I expect the outcome of my research to be applied in a wide range of multi-component systems like; the flow of blood through the veins, domestic water distribution pipes, entrainment of water droplets in the air on misty mornings to nuclear energy for power generation, transportation of crude oil via distribution networks and aerodynamics amongst others. 

Is there anything you wish you were told about engineering beforehand? 

Being so technical can be a blessing and a curse.  

An engineering degree offers you the skillset to build anything you can imagine. Use those skills to explore your creativity. It is important to develop expertise in other areas such as business and management; this will help you be exceptional in your career.  

What do you think other women need to know about a career in engineering? 

There may be times you would feel alone or like you don’t fit in because you are the only female in the room. Those moments are your greatest opportunities to own the stage. You need to leverage these unique opportunities, pitch your ideas exuding confidence and shine. Women make good engineers too. 

 

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