The University of West London’s (UWL) Professor Anastasia Sofroniou was a finalist for the prestigious Women in Science and Engineering 2025 (WISE) Outreach and Engagement Award at a ceremony on Thursday 20 February at the IET in Savoy Place. HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne was in attendance, presenting the certificates and awards to the finalists and winners.

Professor Sofroniou, who is Professor of Mathematics at UWL’s School of Computing and Engineering (SCE) is dedicated to advancing STEM education and advocacy. Alongside her prominent national roles as a Councillor for the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, an Advisory Board member of Education for the Academy of Mathematical Sciences, and Member of the North Star Community Trust, her national impact as a STEM advocate remains extensive and influential. She is also the founder and chair of the WInSTEM committee which has delivered over sixty outreach initiatives including school visits, careers fairs, interactive experiments, competitions, partnerships, and mentorship programmes.

The WISE awards celebrated thirty-three extraordinary finalists across eleven categories, all of whom were highly commended for their work to make STEM a more equitable industry for women.

In her speech, HRH The Princess Royal stated that “STEM outreach should begin with children as young as possible.” This resonates with Professor Sofroniou’s dedication to promoting mathematics, the foundational discipline of all STEM fields, with the aim of creating pathways for young people, particularly women and girls, to excel in STEM careers.

After the awards ceremony, Professor Sofroniou had a conversation with HRH The Princess Royal about school pupils’ understanding of mathematics, her journey into the field, her academic role at UWL, the mission of WInSTEM and her work as a STEM ambassador and advocate. They even ventured into an unexpected discussion on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and nuclear energy.

“Over two decades I have worked to elevate the profile of STEM to help open doors for underrepresented groups,” explains Professor Sofroniou. “I want more women and girls to see a promising future in these fields.”