Area of Research

Merlinda is a Research Associate (Systems Power & Energy) at the University of Glasgow, focusing her research on renewable energy. 

What three words would you use to describe being a woman in Engineering?

• Problem-solving
• Proud
• "Cool"

What is your biggest achievement to date?

 To influence, inform and support the scientific community to make breakthroughs in order to achieve decarbonisation of energy and mitigation of climate change.

What advice would you give to young women going into your area of research?

If you like science, innovation, problem-solving and being creative, then a career in engineering can be exciting for you. I highly recommend it as a career option.

It can tick so many boxes:

• competitive environment with highly educated people
• it is great for building self-esteem and confidence
• it can have great financial returns
• your work can have significant impact

Do you have a female role model(s)?

Any independent, confident and high-achieving woman

What privileges or challenges (if any) do you stereotypically face?

The biggest challenge is to strike the right work-life balance, performing well in all roles in life and meeting expectations.
Building confidence, putting yourself forward and promoting your work. The most common stereotype comes from people out of the work environment having wrong perceptions about engineering professions ("this is a job for men" etc).