Tech innovator Sanaz Yeganefard has been highlighted for her dynamic impact in industry through a TechWomen100 award.

Sanaz, a former Computer Science student at the University of Southampton, was recognised as one of 100 successful women who are excelling across the UK in tech roles.

She was presented the award in a ceremony hosted by BBC reporter Kate Russell at the etc.venues County Hall in London on Thursday 31st January.

Sanaz completed an MSc in Software Engineering at Southampton in 2009 before developing mathematical modelling techniques for automotive control systems through a PhD in the current Cyber Physical Systems research group.

She has since designed and developed systems for top UK banks, building societies and retailers which have improved the customer experience as well as business productivity and lowered costs.

Sanaz said: “I’m thrilled and honoured to be recognised for a TechWomen100 award. The tech industry needs diversity of skillset and mindset as technology touches everyone’s life. I’m even more determined than before to support others in their journey of a tech career.â€?

This winter’s TechWomen100 awards continued the momentum from the TechWomen50 series, which was launched in 2017. This time out of 500 nominees 200 were shortlisted. Over 30,000 public votes were received for the shortlisted nominees that were then put to a judging panel to compile the TechWomen100 winners.

Speakers at the London ceremony included Dayne Turbitt, Senior Vice President of Dell UK, who praised the emerging talent and called for more women to put themselves forward for tech roles. Sanaz spent four years at IBM after completing her PhD at Southampton and is now based at Santander Head Office where she works as a Technology Innovation Manager.

Her Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain solutions over the past six years have included one of the UK’s first banking chatbots and software that can find outfits on a website that match images on Pinterest. More recently, she is exploring the application of Blockchain in digital identity to empower and enable customers to own and manage their identity data.

Multi-disciplinary research at the University of Southampton is creating smart fabrics capable of emitting light, changing colour and controlling infections.

Researchers in the Smart Electronics and Materials (SEMS) group in Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) and the Synthesis, Catalysis and Flow group in Chemistry are investigating a new technique for achieving light emitting textiles which could be used in future medical, performance sports, automotive, architecture and fashion materials.

The new project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, is formulating light emitting films on the surface of standard textiles through electronically functional inks and spray coating, along with cutting-edge inkjet and dispenser printing processes.

Professor Steve Beeby, Head of SEMS and Principal Investigator, says: “Textiles are demanding substrates for device printing due to their rough surface topology, porosity and the necessary low processing temperatures. The achievement of suitable functional materials along with reliable, consistent fabrication processes will enable a huge range of new textile products.â€?

The research is investigating the fabrication of textile organic light emitting electrochemical cells (OLECs) that can selectively operate at visible and UV wavelengths, representing a step change in e-textile capability. OLECs are electrochemically stable in air, require a low turn on voltage and have demonstrated a high luminance level, allowing them to be clearly visible in everyday lighting.

The use of UV-OLEC technology will enable photochromic colour-changing textiles capable of fast colour change, low operation voltage and power consumption, with a more diverse choice of colours and a clearer, more pronounced, change in appearance. UV-OLECs will also support textiles to perform ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), which is a disinfection method that uses short wavelength UVC light. Textile based UVGI can be incorporated into medical applications such as smart bandages to treat or prevent infection and reduce reliance on antibiotics.

Co-Investigators Dr John Tudor and Professor David Harrowven are drawing upon their groups’ complementary expertise in e-textiles, printed devices and processing, the chemical synthesis of complex molecules, and materials formulation.

The SEMS group at Southampton has coordinated two EU projects worth a combined €12m over the last nine years, integrating electronic and sensing functionality in e-textiles. The Synthesis, Catalysis and Flow group has been a primary UK partner on two EU projects worth a combined €11m over the past decade and currently leads the 2017 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) LabFact Grant.

This year’s Engineering and Technology Careers Fair, taking place at the University’s Highfield Campus on Thursday 14 February, welcomes an outstanding range of companies at the forefront of engineering and systems development.

The Fair has been running for over 10 years, playing an important role in enabling Southampton students to meet potential employers across many sectors, including finance, security, engineering consultancy, digital systems, energy, transport, and communications.

“The Fair provides a fantastic opportunity for students to get a really wide-ranging view of the breadth of opportunities across the engineering and technology sectors,â€? says Joyce Lewis, Careers Fair Director. “Southampton students already have an excellent reputation for their success in the jobs market and the quality of the 75 companies attending the Fair is a great endorsement of this.â€?

The event will take place between 11am and 3.30pm in Garden Court and over 1,500 students are expected to attend from all departments in the University. In addition to the global companies attending, there will also be strong representation from niche start-ups based at Southampton Science Park at Chilworth. Attending for the first time this year are Carnival, the cruise company which carries Southampton’s name across the world, major tech consultancies Frazer-Nash, Newton Europe and Deme Group, as well as a range of innovative high-tech start-ups owned and managed by Southampton graduates.

“We very much welcome the high quality of companies coming to the University to employ our students,â€? said Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi, Dean of Faculty, Engineering and Physical Sciences. “These companies are aware of the reputation of our students and graduates, as well as their commitment and ability to innovate and support the development of future technologies.

“There are very exciting careers to be built in these new ventures and in the new opportunities being offered in our established industries. We value our strong links with business and industry and the excellent relationships built up over time. Many of the companies will be represented by Southampton graduates, demonstrating the contribution that the University is making to the UK’s industrial and business success.â€?

For further information about the Fair, contact Joyce Lewis, tel. +44 (0)23 8059 5453.