Road to Chartership

Dr Sarah Connolly CEng MIMMM

Innovation Technologist, Innovate UK

Sarah is an Innovation Technologist at Innovate UK, supporting the Foundation Industries to be sustainable and internationally competitive. 
She studied her for her MEng in Materials Science at Mansfield College, Oxford and DPhil at Wolfson College, Oxford. Her research focused on novel alloy development for the Nuclear Industry working closely with Rolls Royce and the National Nuclear Laboratory. 

Sarah has been in the Materials Processing Industry for the past 7 years, initially conducting research at both the University of Oxford and WMG, University of Warwick, before joining Innovate UK. In 2020, she was awarded the Frank Fitzgerald Medal and Travel Award for excellence in professional development and breadth of technical knowledge.  

She has continued to be a strong supporter of Education & Skills; being an active STEM ambassador since 2012; running the Focus on Materials Science Residential Headstart Course at the University of Oxford between 2012 to 2017; being a founding member of the Making Materials Matter Outreach Project in 2017, developing the Investigating Chocolate programme; and being a Governor of a local Academy from 2020. 

She continues to represent Early Career Professionals on the IOM3 Advisory Council, the Iron and Steel Board, and is the Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Materials Society. She has recently founded the Foundation Industries Future Leaders Group, with ED&I and the future skills requirements for the processing industries high on the agenda. 

In her spare time, she is a keen runner, cyclist and baker.

Dr Chris Melvin CEng CSci MIMMM

Technical Manager - Coke Ovens, TATA Steel UK, Port Talbot Steelworks

Chris has over 10 years experience in the Steel Industry working mainly within transformation and process/cost optimisation roles within technical and manufacturing functions.

Chris has represented the industry and IOM3 within the CAETS Energy Committee and has an excellent understanding of the decarbonisation challenge and potential pathways and their associated risks.

Chris studied for a Material Science undergraduate degree at Swansea University then pursued a Steel Technology Masters working on Galvanising Steel Dewetting with TATA Steel in Shotton.  

Chris completed an Engineering Doctorate in Material Science at Swansea University sponsored by TATA Steel Packaging, Crown Packaging and Akzo Nobel Coatings with a thesis entitled the “Fundamentals of Adhesion for Steel Packaging Materials.”

Chris is part of the IOM3 Assessors group, mentors a range of professionals working towards accreditation for Chartered Scientist and Engineers and was the South Wales Materials Association President from 2018-2021.

Sarah Boad CEng CSci FIMMM

Membership Development Manager, IOM3

Sarah Boad has a degree in Metallurgy from University College of Swansea. She started her working like at Morganite Electrical Carbon Ltd in Morriston, Swansea working on carbon brushes for electrical machines. She then moved to Dunlop Aviation in Coventry where her focus was on carbon-carbon composites for aircraft breaks.

Sarah started working with the Institute in the early 90’s and has done various roles - Regional Consultant for the Midlands Region, and in 2004 she took on the new role of ‘National Co-ordinator – Regions’ liaising with all the local societies across the UK and Ireland. In the autumn of 2010, she became Membership Development Manager, working with Universities, Companies and individuals, promoting professional membership of IOM3 and other professional bodies.

She was a founder member of the WIM3 committee and acted as secretary until she retired from the group in 2019.

Sarah is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Scientist and Fellow of IOM3.