I Learned Early That I Would Stand Out, So I Chose to Stand Strong: Navigating the PhD Journey as a Woman in Engineering There is a moment early in many engineering PhDs when you realise you are different. Sometimes it happens in a seminar room, sometimes in a lab, sometimes in a meeting where you…>
Written by Shravani Sharma
Shravani Sharma is a PhD researcher at WMG, University of Warwick, specialising in user behaviour and inclusive design for emerging mobility technologies. Her doctoral research investigates accessibility and adoption patterns of new mobility modes, including autonomous vehicles, among people with and without disabilities. Her work places strong emphasis on co-design and participatory methods, engaging hard-to-reach and under-represented communities to build methodological, technological, and systemic frameworks that make future transport systems more inclusive and equitable. Shravani also delivers lectures at WMG to professionals of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Ford Motor Company on Human–Machine Interaction (HMI)and the public health implications of shared and connected autonomous vehicles (SCAVs). Shravani is an Urban Transport Planner and Engineer with substantial international experience advancing sustainable and accessible mobility. She has worked with global organisations to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles, contributing to the UN’s COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, UK, and serving as the Transport Fellow for the UNFCCC High-Level Champions for COP27. Beyond academia, Shravani is a Board Member at IDAG (Independent Disability Advisory Group) for Transport for London (TfL) and an Assessment Research and Development Manager at the Department for Education, where she leads initiatives to improve accessibility for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) pupils. She also co-chairs the Greener DfE initiative, promoting environmental sustainability within the education sector. Her work integrates engineering, behavioural science, and policy design to ensure that the evolution of urban mobility is not only technologically advanced but also socially just and inclusive.
