She reflects on her journey, the joy of teaching and what still needs to happen to achieve gender equality in the discipline.
Did you always want to become an engineer?
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a scientist. My first love was chemistry, and I practically grew up in a chemistry lab, often accompanying my mother to her work at Nanjing University in China. After finishing high school, I enrolled at Nanjing University to study chemistry as my undergraduate degree. It wasn’t until I applied to graduate school that I discovered engineering.
I was offered a place in a Ph.D. program in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at University of Minnesota, and that opportunity opened my eyes to how I could apply my chemistry background to solve engineering problems. I quickly realised that my foundation in chemistry was an asset, and it enabled me to pursue research at the interface of chemistry and engineering.
Who were your role models?
Apart from my mother, who was a strong influence and an early inspiration, I had very few role models growing up, especially in engineering. During my Ph.D., there were fewer than a handful of women in my cohort, and at times, I was the only woman in the room. There were no women engineering professors I could look up to or learn from directly at that stage. That lack of visible role models made the journey more challenging.
However, I was fortunate to have exceptionally supportive supervisors who believed in me. They consistently encouraged me to push forward and would often say, “You have what it takes to be a professor, Guangzhao!” Their belief in me helped fill the gap and gave me the confidence to pursue an academic career.
What opportunities has a career in engineering offered you?
A career in engineering opens the door to a wide range of opportunities across academia, industry, government, and the non-profit sector. For me, working in higher education has introduced me to a global community of researchers, innovators, and thought leaders. It has allowed me to travel the world for conferences, collaborate with brilliant minds, and build lasting professional relationships. My career has taken me across three continents, North America, Australia, and now Europe.
One of the most rewarding aspects of working in academia, in my case, in the chemical engineering discipline, is how transferable the skills are. No matter where you are in the world, the scientific language is universal. That shared foundation has made it possible to contribute meaningfully in diverse international settings.
Why did you choose academia over working in the private sector?
I have always been more drawn to fundamental science. With my background in chemistry and a Ph.D. project that was not narrowly aligned with industrial applications, pursuing an academic path felt like the natural next step. It allowed me to continue exploring the questions that fascinated me most.
What truly makes academia rewarding, though, is the opportunity to work with students. Whether mentoring Ph.D. candidates or teaching undergraduates, I find deep fulfillment in helping shape their journeys. Some of my most cherished moments come from students telling me how something I taught helped them succeed in an interview, or when they say, “Dr. Mao, we’re all your kids!” That kind of connection is priceless.
To me, there is no job more meaningful than that of a tenured professor, where you can pursue curiosity-driven research and make a lasting impact on the next generation.
What challenges have you faced – and overcome – in your career?
Joining a highly regarded university with a long-standing culture can be both exciting and challenging. Navigating existing structures, traditions, and expectations, especially as an international hire from outside the organisation, requires patience, humility, and a clear sense of purpose and self. It can take time to build trust and foster openness to new ways of thinking.
One of the key challenges I have encountered is encouraging change in environments where “how things have always been done” is deeply ingrained. But I have come to see this not just as an obstacle, but as an opportunity for growth, for both myself and people around me.
I am a strong believer in the power of inclusive leadership: bringing diverse voices to the table to generate fresh ideas and challenge conventional thinking. Some of the most impactful changes I have led came from simply asking, “What if we tried this a different way?” Of course, not every new approach works perfectly the first time, and that’s okay.
Innovation requires experimentation, and if something fails, we can learn from it and adapt or even return to the original method if needed. What matters most is supporting a culture where people feel empowered to contribute, take risks, and drive positive change together.
What needs to happen to achieve gender equality in engineering?
I think we’ve come a long way compared to 30 or 40 years ago. Today, we are definitely starting to see more women stepping into leadership roles and securing top jobs in engineering, which is both encouraging and inspiring. However, there is a danger for regression if we do not continue to challenge the status quo. There is still a long way to go before we can say gender equality has truly been achieved across the field.
In the future, I would like to see three key things happen.
First, I would like to see more women represented at all levels of the engineering pipeline, not just in entry-level roles or as students, but also as senior researchers, department heads, and executive leaders. That kind of visibility matters; it shows the next generation what is possible.
Second, I would like to see structural changes that make engineering careers more inclusive, such as equitable parental leave policies and proactive efforts to eliminate unconscious bias in recruitment, promotion, and recognition processes.
Both Australia and the United Kingdom have made important strides in providing more generous and supportive parental leave.
In contrast, when I was an assistant professor in the United States some years ago, my own maternity leave was not automatically granted. It required a doctor’s note and adjustments to my teaching schedule to shift responsibilities to the term following childbirth. Looking back, it was a clear example of how insufficient support for parental leave can be counterproductive, not only to individual wellbeing, but also to workplace culture and long-term retention in academia.
And third, I would love to see a stronger culture of mentorship and sponsorship for women in engineering. Formal programs and informal support networks can make a huge difference in helping women navigate their careers, build confidence, and take on new challenges.
If we are intentional about creating these conditions, I am hopeful that the future of engineering will not only be more gender-equal but also more innovative, collaborative, and resilient as a result.
What does the future hold for young women dreaming of a career in engineering?
I am hopeful and optimistic about the future. I want to encourage young women to be fearless, take risks, be bold, and embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. While working in the United States, I was struck by how many of my students embodied this spirit. The “high-risk, high-reward” mindset is deeply embedded in American culture and society, and it can be incredibly empowering, especially in engineering, where innovation and impact often come from venturing into the unknown.
But for young women to fully embrace that mindset, the right support systems need to be in place. That means access to mentors and role models, inclusive learning and work environments, and institutional policies that enable rather than limit ambition. If we can continue to build these supportive foundations, then I believe we will see more and more young women not only entering engineering but thriving in it and shaping its future.
This is why the University of Edinburgh’s latest programme to support academic innovators – the Innovation Career Pathway – is vital.
Our School of Engineering is also leading a scheme called the Failure Modes of Engineering (FeME) project.This focuses on engineering solutions for climate change and biodiversity loss, and their impact on women, children and underrepresented communities. More than that, this project aims to empower them as crucial agents for the future engineering that we need.
