Uni’s fitting memorial to trailblazer Dorothée
A pioneering engineer is to be recognised by Paisley’s university with a special commemorat i ve plaque.
Dorothée Pullinger trained as an apprentice engineer in Paisley before the First World War, and is famous for the lasting impact she made on the engineering industry.
She designed a car for women, built by women, in the early 20th century.
The commemorative plaque will honour Doro t h é e ’ s legacy, celebrate her Paisley connection and mark her considerable achievements in engineering and entrepreneurship.
Helping to choose the design of the memorial plaque were relatives of Dorothée who had travelled from their home in Guernsey to UWS’ Paisley campus, a mile away from where she trained as an apprentice in 1909.
Dorothee’s daughter Yv e t t e L e Couv e y , granddaughter Miya Le Couvey, and her husband James McDonald met the team of academics at UWS involved in the research into Dorothée’s legacy.
Academics Professor Katarzyna Kosmala, Tony Grace and Dr Evi Viza discussed the project led by Professor Kosmala of the uni’s School of Media, Culture and Society in collaboration with the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Science.
Professor Craig Mahoney, principal and vice- chancellor of UWS said: “We were thrilled to host Dorothée Pullinger’s relatives Yvette, Miya and James at our Paisley campus.
“We were pleased to be able to share our plans with them for our commemorative plaque.
“Dorothée’s legacy is known far and wide, and nowhere is it held more dearly than in Paisley.
“D o rothée was a trailblazer who followed her passions and forged a hugely successful career.
“He re at UWS we champion our students to chase their dreams, placing particular emphasis on removing barriers to subjects such as STEM ( Science Technology Engineering Maths) so it was a real pleasure to be able to celebrate the achievements of this inspiring woman.”
Professor Kosmala said women in engineering have historically been very much in the minority.
“In 1914, despite her obvious talents as an engineer, the Institution of Automobile Engineers refused to admit Dorothée in their articles of association,” she said.
“However, things were starting to shift with female engineers setting up the Women’s Engineering Society ( WES), exactly one hundred years ago to encourage more women to pursue a career in engineering.
“I am delighted we will be unveiling a plaque to commemorate Dorothée’s legacy and her achievements on our campus to tie in with the centenary celebrations of WES.”