The ERA Foundation is pleased to announce that Virginia Hodge CEng FIET will be the Royal Society ERA Foundation Entrepreneur in Residence.
The two-year secondment, which starts on 26th March, aims to increase the knowledge and awareness in UK universities of cutting edge industrial science, research and innovation.
Virginia is a former Vice-President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Director at Heron Associates, a consultancy providing mentoring and systems engineering expertise to customers in the Air Traffic Management and Defence industries.
Her background in the field of systems engineering and computer science, and over 30 years of technical, strategic and managerial experience in sectors including aviation and defence, made her an excellent candidate for the award.
Alongside this Virginia also has held a number of senior volunteer and trustee roles with professional bodies in the Engineering and Enterprise sectors, has experience and qualifications in coaching and, mentorship and has been an active champion of diversity promoting entrepreneurialism as an option for all students and staff regardless of their background.
Virginia will begin the Entrepreneur-in-Residence secondment at the end of March 2020, at University of Southampton.
Virginia will be embedded in the University’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) while serving as a Resident Mentor at the on-campus Future Worlds startup accelerator. Professor Paul Lewin, Head of ECS, said “we are delighted that Virginia has been appointed as Royal Society ERA Foundation Entrepreneur in Residence. She will provide commercial expertise that will enhance our education and research activities and we are looking forward to working together.”
Keith Robson, ERA Foundation secretary, explained that “the ERA is thrilled to have Virginia as the inaugural Royal Society ERA Foundation Entrepreneur in Residence, her background as a champion of entrepreneurialism and diversity reinforces the positive impact she has already made to the engineering and enterprise sectors. The ERA Foundation hopes the position will allow her to continue this work“.
Virginia Hodge said “I am delighted and honoured to become the inaugural Royal Society ERA Foundation Entrepreneur in Residence and I look forward to working with the University of Southampton, ERA Foundation and Royal Society to demonstrate the benefits of the scheme“.
