Celebrating Professor Jackie Akhavan on International Women’s Day
To commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, we pay tribute to Professor Jackie Akhavan, for her remarkable and steadfast contribution to AWE’s mission and the wider nuclear enterprise over the past three decades.
Head of the Centre for Defence Chemistry at Cranfield University, one of AWE’s strategic alliances, Jackie’s pioneering work in defence chemistry has driven vital advancements within the field of energetics and materials science. As Chair of AWE’s partnership with Cranfield University, her leadership has fostered a highly successful, mutually beneficial collaboration that delivers crucial technical expertise, skills and knowledge to AWE’s work.
After serving as Chair for the past 18 years, she has announced her intention to step down from this role as she transitions to part-time employment later this year.
Additionally, Jackie has also played a pivotal role in the development of the Centre of Excellence for Energetic Materials (CoEEM), a government-led initiative through Dstl, DE&S (DOSG) and AWE, in collaboration with other government departments and bodies (NPSA,Go Science/DoT), to pull together and champion this essential national capability.
Jackie first developed the concept for the CoEEM back in 2015 to help address the skills gap and lack of funding for a national defence capability in the testing of energetic materials. Fast forward to today, and the CoEEM is globally recognised for uniting UK experts in energetics, providing research and education, and strategic, long-term support for sovereign capability in the field.
AWE Executive Director Science, Andrew Randewich, said: “Thank you Jackie for your outstanding and inspirational contribution to STEM research and innovation in support of AWE’s mission of furthering research in energetics. You are a role model for women in STEM, demonstrating excellence through leadership, innovation and unwavering dedication to advancing defence chemistry today and for future generations.”
To show our appreciation and gratitude, we took a moment to reflect on Jackie’s personal highlights from her career and long relationship with AWE.
Q&A – Professor Jackie Akhavan
What inspired you to work in academia?
“I always wanted a career in academia, the research is always in your hands, you decide where you want to take it, and the success is down to you.
“I’ve also enjoyed the full-circle experience; having been a PhD student myself to being in a position to mentor and encourage other PhD students with their own research in a field I am passionate about.”
Describe a highlight of working with AWE?
“I’ve loved the diverse range of projects we’ve undertaken with AWE over the years; from the formulation of energetic materials in the 1990s, and their synthesis in the 2000s resulting in patents, to long-term surveillance projects, many of which are still ongoing today. Each project has significantly advanced our understanding of how these materials behave under various, often extreme environments. I’m incredibly proud of the partnership between Cranfield University and AWE, and to have contributed to its success. One of our key achievements is the development of the Abel building, our remote onsite explosives processing facility at Cranfield. Seeing this facility significantly enhance our research collaborations with AWE has been immensely rewarding. It provides an environment where we can train, research, and learn together.”
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in science?
“After studying chemistry at the University of Southampton, I knew nothing about explosives. However, I was able to apply my knowledge and skills to this exciting research area, so don’t let a lack of initial knowledge put you off. The energetic materials field offers opportunities to explore numerous applications, from defence and security to aerospace, and provides exposure to many fascinating areas of science, physics, material science, computer modelling, machine learning, biology, etc.”
“The next International Explosives Conference (IEC-2026) in June 2026 provides an excellent opportunity for early careers and students to meet and network. IEC-2026 will take place at Cardiff University; more details can be found at IEC-2026.”
To learn more about Jackie’s inspiring career, visit the following links:
- Professor Jacqueline Akhavan (cranfield.ac.uk)
- The Life Scientific | BBC Radio 4
- Foundation for Science and Technology Podcast – Professor Jackie Akhavan, Defence Chemistry
- How Can Fertilizer Explode? – Bing video
- Expert reaction to Beirut explosion | Science Media Centre
- An Estimate of the TNT‐Equivalent Net Explosive Quantity (NEQ) of the Beirut Port Explosion Using Publicly‐Available Tools and Data (wiley.com)
- Explosives expert Jackie Akhavan on helping to keep the UK safe | Financial Times (ft.com)
- Banging Chemistry: Fireworks | STEM
