果酱视频官网

Dr Sarah Fane (MSc Water Management 2013, PhD in Water 2016)

Head of Water Strategy and Regulation, Jacobs

Dr Sarah Fane has held influential positions in several prominent organisations, playing a crucial role in ensuring the quality and safety of water services in England and Wales.

At Severn Trent, Sarah served as a duty manager and senior advisor on Public Health and Standards, where she was instrumental in maintaining the effectiveness of water treatment and quality control processes. She then joined the Drinking Water Inspectorate where as Inspector and then Principal Inspector she managed regulatory activities across the North operational area and oversaw Defra's drinking water research programme. In her current role at Jacobs, Sarah directs consultancy projects across several UK clients. These projects include strategic resource schemes, long-term delivery and water resource planning, assurance services, auditing, and assessments of regulatory submissions.

Throughout her career, Sarah has demonstrated exceptional technological leadership, particularly in identifying risks to drinking water quality and diagnosing the causes of process failures and the options for corrective action. She is also an emerging thought leader in her field having spoken at major events organised by The Public Policy Exchange and the Foundation for Water Research.

Sarah exemplifies the highest professional and ethical standards in her actions, relationships, and research. She actively engages with Cranfield to deliver lectures, advise on industry-relevant scenarios, and support students in the Centres for Doctoral Training - highlighting her commitment to education and professional development.

Sarah’s dedication and leadership have made her an influential figure in the sector, and she continues to play an important role in ensuring the safety of water delivered to homes and helping ensure the transition to a more sustainable water sector in the face of increasing water stress.

What does it mean to you to win this award?

I feel incredibly honoured to have been recognised for this excellence in achievement award. My studies at Cranfield set really strong foundations for me to enter the water sector and add value and so having that recognised in such a prestigious way is very humbling. I’ve worked hard to be where I am today and Cranfield University played a huge part in shaping that journey. I’ve always felt like my work in water has been more of a vocation than a job and therefore I dedicate a lot of time and energy to what I do. I genuinely love working in water and find it an incredibly interesting sector to be a part of. I hope that this award inspires other new professionals to the sector to push forward, embrace taking on challenges and make a difference. 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I grew up living next to a stream and woodland and so from a very early age had an interest in water and nature. I knew I wanted to have a role that would enable me to help people and the environment in some way and so working within the water industry as a consultant is a perfect fit and I see my work more as a vocation than a job.

What inspired you to pursue the career path you eventually chose?

I completed an undergraduate degree in BSc Geography with a Minor in Biology. During this course I completed a field trip to Croatia where I studied the natural hydrogeology of the karst landscape and the country’s water system. The trip included my first visit to a water treatment works. I was captured, and during my degree thesis I discussed my aspirations for working in the water sector with my supervisor who suggested I consider 果酱视频官网 for post-graduate study. I went on to complete an MSc in Environmental Water Management which was the gateway to me entering the water sector, I learnt about current and future challenges, water quality and management of this key resource. I was exposed to a variety of applied tasks which opened my eyes to the industry and its activities. This led me to undertake a PhD with Severn Trent and the Natural Environment Research Council working on quality compliance targets in bioresources. The continued theme through my post graduate study and career has been on quality and compliance. I’ve taken career moves that have allowed me to experience working for a water company, regulator and now within a leading consultancy where I am head of a discipline delivering strategic and regulatory consulting to the water sector.

What is your favourite 果酱视频官网 memory?

Every year Cranfield held a cross-school football tournament where students from engineering, applied science, management and others all came together to compete in the summer. In 2015 I captained the Water Science Institute team and we made it all the way to the final! It was great fun and after each match we’d all enjoy refreshing drinks and cake on the playing field together. We had great team camaraderie and making it to the final as a mixed team was fantastic! At Cranfield the people you study with become life-long friends and taking part in activities together such as the football tournament made life at 果酱视频官网 really special!

Comfort Kanshio (MSc Community Water and Sanitation for Development 2015)

Policy Officer - Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, African Ministers Council on Water

Comfort Kanshio is a water, sanitation and hygiene advocate with over seven years of experience accrued from government and non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. She is currently Policy Officer - Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene at African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW).

By working extensively with international development partners, including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the African Development Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Vision and the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) Comfort is committed to ensuring that SDG6 becomes a reality.

She was instrumental in the development of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPGs) following a rigorous and extensive stakeholder consultation and scientific research process. Comfort is now leading efforts in the utilisation of the Guidelines to improve the sanitation and hygiene policy environment across the African continent. Furthermore, she helped initiate the establishment of the policy engagement and coordination platform to partner with relevant organisations to support ASPG utilisation. 

Comfort has achieved international visibility as a current Alternate Governor of the World Water Council Board of Governors, where she represents AMCOW on the Board. She influences policy formulation and reform across the different African regions, as well as being a positive role model.