Seminar 18th February 2010 6:30 p.m. Lecture Room A, Lanchester Building (7/3009)
‘Exercising professional judgement in 21st century engineering in the face of climate change’
Professor Jean Venables
- Categories
- Climate
- Submitter
- Nicki Lewin
Jean Venables is Immediate Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Chief Executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities, Chairman of Crane Environmental, holds Honorary Doctorates from Kingston and Nottingham Universities, and is a Visiting Professor here at the University of Southampton. In her lecture ‘Exercising professional judgment in 21st century engineering in the face of climate change’, Jean will explore what it means to be a professional in the 21st Century, and the challenges professionals face in exercising professional judgment when making decisions that can affect individuals and wider society in many ways. Those challenges include: making decisions in the absence of all the facts one would wish to have; predicted effects of climate change; and what constitutes ‘negligence’ and ‘ethical behavior’? She will also explore the role of professional institutions and their rules for professional conduct in assisting their members to deal with these challenges. She will include some examples from her own specialism of flood risk management and water level management.
Professor Jean Venables OBE FREng FICE is one of the UK’s leading experts in strategic flood risk assessment. For nine years, she was Chairman of the Thames Regional Flood Defence Committee and for five years Chairman of the Independent Industry Panel, Thames Estuary 2100 Project. In 2003, she was also appointed Chair of the Thames Estuary Partnership. As Chief Executive of ADA, she represents organisations involved with water level management and flood risk management, including Internal Drainage Boards, Flood Defence Committees, Environment Agency, Local Authorities and a wide range of Associate Members. Through Crane Environmental, Jean has wide experience of flood risk assessment and works with colleagues to assist the construction industry reduce the adverse environmental impact of its projects and operations and improve their environmental and sustainability performance. A major Crane Environmental project has been to lead and manage the team that developed CEEQUAL, the ICE-initiated environmental assessment and awards scheme for civil engineering projects, and they now lead the team that operates CEEQUAL for the industry and profession. Jean has been a keen member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) since the start of her career, and completed her year as its President on 3 November 2009. She was awarded the MBE in 1997 for services to civil engineering and the OBE in the 2004 New Year's Honours List for services to flood defence.