Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day: Kara Agllias
Civil and Stormwater Engineer Kara Agllias loves to tackle the great engineering challenges of the natural and built environment
When she's not assessing the health of more than 95 kilometres of stormwater channels, pipes and culverts, Civil and Stormwater Engineer Kara Agllias enjoys the daily mix of problem solving, teamwork, creativity, maths and science that drew her to the profession.
"The natural and built world is all around us and provides so many great engineering challenges for us to solve."
One of the projects she is most proud of is revitalising stormwater channels across the region, inviting local communities to feel connected with and see our waterways as living and breathing parts of nature. The initiative delivered stormwater channel upgrades, turning five sites from “concrete utility into an urban oasis”, featuring native plantings, rock work, water retention, public art and improved accessibility.
Her advice to younger engineers is to find formal and informal mentors outside of their team, noting that the diversity of her own mentors has helped her through tricky times and shaped the engineer she's become today.
She's equally candid about communication being a skill that doesn't always come naturally to engineers but is an essential skill every day, as “engineering doesn't just happen in a black box. It happens in the real world with real people."
Kara’s advice for girls and young women with an interest in maths or science is to give engineering a crack.
“We need this industry to reflect the diversity of the community we serve, and there is a place for you! The field is exciting and impactful, and women belong here.”
