Looking back to last year, Margaret Morgan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Head of the School of Engineering at Ulster University, served on the judging panel for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025. With a career spanning over three decades across industry and academia, Morgan brought a breadth of experience that few panellists could match.

Before joining Ulster University in 1995, Morgan held senior roles within Irish industry. As Production Control Manager at Unidare Environmental Ltd from 1991 to 1995, she managed production processes and optimised operational efficiency within a live manufacturing environment. Prior to that, as Research and Development Engineer at Unidare Engineering Ltd from 1987 to 1991, she focused on design and development opportunities within the electric-heating industry. These roles grounded her academic career in the realities of manufacturing operations, giving her a perspective informed equally by boardroom demands and production floor experience.

Since joining Ulster University, Morgan worked to develop industrially relevant programmes in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, ensuring that graduate engineers entered the workforce with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to contribute meaningfully to business success. Her approach to engineering education reflected a consistent conviction that academic programmes must remain responsive to the evolving needs of industry. By bridging the gap between theoretical foundations and practical application, she helped shape a generation of engineers equipped to navigate the demands of modern manufacturing environments, from process optimisation and quality management to the integration of emerging digital technologies.

Equally significant was Morgan's distinguished track record in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusivity within the engineering profession. Her contributions through Athena Swan, the WE-Bridge Women into Electronics programme, and Showcasing and Empowering Women in STEM established her as a respected and influential thought-leader in the engineering community, advocating for a profession that draws on the full range of available talent.

Her involvement reinforced the Manufacturing Excellence Awards' commitment to a judging panel that reflects both technical expertise and the broader values driving responsible manufacturing leadership.

Visit the official Manufacturing Excellence Awards website to explore award categories, review the judging panel, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates and exclusive coverage from Ireland's manufacturing sector.