Two researchers from the University of Cambridge have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Cecilia Mascolo, Professor of Mobile Systems in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, and Professor Swami Swaminathan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Engineering, are among 74 individuals recognized this year for their achievements in engineering and technology.
The 2025 cohort includes 60 Fellows, nine International Fellows, and five Honorary Fellows. The new members represent a wide range of specialisms within engineering and technology, covering sectors such as energy, defence, and new materials. Their contributions include innovations in academia and business, providing expert advice to government bodies, and promoting understanding of engineering disciplines.
Professor Mascolo is known for her work on frameworks that collect sensing data from devices like phones and wearables to model behaviour and health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led development of the COVID-19 Sounds App which uses recordings of coughing and breathing to help detect COVID-19 cases. Her current research focuses on using wearable devices as mobile health monitors with machine learning tools that analyze data directly on these devices.
Professor Swaminathan specializes in turbulent reacting flows, including their physics, chemistry, modelling, and simulation. His research has produced a framework for accurately estimating temperature distribution, emissions, combustion noise, and instabilities in combustors through single simulations. This work supports engineers designing environmentally friendly combustion systems for power generation using low- or zero-carbon fuels.
The Academy’s Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative continues to guide nominations toward greater diversity by encouraging candidates from underrepresented groups such as women; disabled; LGBTQ+ engineers; minority ethnic backgrounds; non-traditional education pathways; emerging industries; and those achieving excellence earlier than usual.
“As we approach our 50th anniversary next year it’s a good time to reflect on how much we have achieved,” said Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. “The Academy is built on the foundation of our Fellowship, and that remains as true today as half a century ago.
“Today’s cohort join a community of around 1,700 of some of the most talented engineers and innovators in the UK and around the globe. Their knowledge and experience make them uniquely well placed to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world, and our determination to advance and promote excellence in engineering remains undimmed.”
The formal admission ceremony for new Fellows will take place in London on November 18.