Burt joined
British Aerospace as a project engineer for scientific satellites, and was eventually promoted to senior systems engineer. She contributed to the
Women's Engineering Society,
Institute of Physics and
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In 1983 and 1984 Burt presented a Faraday Lecture, ''Let's Build A Satellite,'' on behalf of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and
British Aerospace. She was appointed to the London Branch Committee of the
Women's Engineering Society in 1987. She was a campaigner for career breaks and gave advice to members of the
Women's Engineering Society in how to manage returning to work. Burt was appointed to the
Women's Engineering Society Council in 1991. aged only 42.
Legacy Since 1999, the
Women's Engineering Society have celebrated Karen Burt with a memorial award for newly chartered women in engineering, applied science or information technology. Each year the
Women's Engineering Society requests one nomination from each participating Professional Engineering Institution, and from these a winner is chosen. The award recognises significant potential in engineering and it was originally set up to encourage a greater number of women to aim for, and to celebrate, the achievement of
Chartered Engineer status. • 1999: Rebecca Dowsett,
Institution of Electrical Engineers • 2000: Una McQuaid,
Institution of Civil Engineers • 2001: Beth Hutchison,
British Computer Society • 2002: Helen Marson,
Institution of Chemical Engineers • 2003: Jane Wild,
Institution of Mechanical Engineers • 2004: Suzanne Bland, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2005: Katy Roelich,
Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management • 2006: Louise Dougan (née McDevitt),
Institute of Highway Engineers • 2007: Jane Hunter, Institute of Highway Engineers • 2008: Emily Spearman,
Energy Institute • 2009:
Katy Deacon,
Institution of Engineering and Technology • 2010: Julie Templeton, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2011: Dr Gemma Whatling, Institution of Mechanical Engineers • 2012: Kate Cooksey, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2013: Professor
Molly Stevens,
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining • 2014: Elaine Greaney, Institute of Engineering and Technology • 2015: Helen Randell, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2016: Clare Lavelle, Energy Institute • 2017: Madeleine Jones, Institution of Chemical Engineers • 2018: Dr Susan Deeny,
Institution of Fire Engineers • 2019: Mandy Lester, Institution of Chemical Engineers • 2020: Tina Gunnarrsson, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2021: Eleanor Earl, Institution of Civil Engineers • 2022: Dr Emma Walton,
Institute of Physics • 2023: Dr Angeliki (Kelly) Loukatou, Institution of Engineering and Technology == References ==