Rachel Piper’s significant contributions to the profession, including championing young women in engineering, have helped to make her stand out.
Rachel Piper, 28, has become the youngest woman in the south west of England to be awarded the title of Fellow, the highest grade of ICE membership.
Piper started her ICE journey as a QUEST scholar. She was then chosen by Past President Keith Howells as a Future Leader in 2022-2023, alongside six others.
Today, she manages multi-million-pound infrastructure projects, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex works in her role as a principal chartered civil engineer at WSP.
The power of networking
Piper is among just a handful of people to become an ICE Fellow in their twenties.
As part of her journey to the qualification, Piper attended ICE Connects: Women in Fellowship networking events.
The ICE Connects programme is aimed at encouraging women and other underrepresented groups to explore their potential to become Fellows.
Introduced in 2021, as of late 2025, the network had so far resulted in a 72% increase in female Fellows.
‘Giving back is non negotiable’
Piper has made an extraordinary impact in STEM outreach, introducing over 40,000 students to civil engineering through approximately 750 hours of volunteering as an ICE STEM Ambassador.
She regularly mentors school teams as part of the ICE’s CityZen competition.
“Growing up in Jersey, my first taste of engineering was when local engineers visited my school and ran a pasta bridge competition,” said Piper.
“This simple idea sparked my curiosity and introduced me to the world of civil engineering which set me on my path.”
“These interactions really matter because the next pupil you meet might be the one you inspire.”
Shaping a safer industry for everyone
Piper’s Fellowship application also highlighted her work to drive industry change.
Through the ICE Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Committee, she helped deliver the institution’s first ever survey to explore the extent of sexual harassment in the profession and raise awareness.
“Everyone embarking on a career in infrastructure deserves to feel safe and respected,” said Piper.
“If they do, they speak up and that’s when lasting culture change happens.”
Achieving things you might not think possible
Last year, Piper was named among the WES Top 50 Women in Engineering.
She was also the UK Construction and Engineering Undergraduate of the Year and a Royal Academy of Engineering Leaders Scholar.
Now based in Cornwall, Piper sits on the ICE South West regional committee where she leads on STEM engagement.
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from and be supported by brilliant mentors and advocates,” said Piper.
“Each milestone reflects a collective effort, people who shared their time, trust and honest feedback.”
“It’s this type of support that can help people to unlock amazing opportunities and achieve things they might not have thought possible, regardless of age.”
Rachel Piper’s story shows what’s possible. Could you be next?
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