Pamela Edwards Liversidge (born 1949) was the first female president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Life

She was born 23 December 1949 (née Humphries)Burke's Peerage and Gentry
/ref> and graduated with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Aston University.Apex
issue 2 (1998) page 7, Aston University After graduating she worked for GKN as a Graduate Trainee, then moved into

forging Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which i ...

with a small company based in Sheffield. Following this she moved into the electricity supply industry, becoming Divisional Director of East Midlands Electricity. In 1993 she set up her own business to manufacture specialist metal powders, notably for medical engineering through which she facilitated the formation of the Association of Institutions in Medical Engineering (AIME). Her company was sold in 1996, and Liversidge became the Managing Director of Quest Investments, a holding company for several engineering enterprises.

Honours

In 1997 she became the first female president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and in 1999 was awarded the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in recognition of her services to engineering. She has received honorary degrees from

Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...

, Huddersfield and Sheffield Hallam Universities. She was High Sheriff of South Yorkshire in 2004-5. She is a Fellow of the

Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...

, Fellow of the City and Guilds Institute, Freeman of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, and Liveryman of the

Worshipful Company of Engineers The Worshipful Company of Engineers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The company was founded and became a livery company in 1983 and was incorporated by royal charter in 2004. The company is for chartered engineers of EC(U ...

. Her husband Douglas was elected as Master of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire in 1998, leading to Liversidge to hold the Mistress Cutler role. From 2011 to 2012 she was Master Cutler of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, the first woman to hold this post.The Star (Sheffield)
14 October 2011 "A master class by Sheffield's first lady" On 7 February 2014 a new postgraduate engineering building at the University of Sheffield was named the Pam Liversidge Building in her honour. Since 2019 the Pam Liversidge OBE Award for Engineering is awarded at the Inspirational Women of Sheffield Awards.

References

External links

IMechE Presidents
Image of Pamela Liversidge British mechanical engineers 1949 births Living people Alumni of Aston University Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Female Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Officers of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century women engineers Master Cutlers {{UK-engineer-stub