Skip to main content

Site navigation

  • University of Technology Sydney home
  • Home

    Home
  • For students

  • For industry

  • Research

Explore

  • Courses
  • Events
  • News
  • Stories
  • People

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Study at UTS

    • arrow_right_alt Find a course
    • arrow_right_alt Course areas
    • arrow_right_alt Undergraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Postgraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Research Masters and PhD
    • arrow_right_alt Online study and short courses
  • Student information

    • arrow_right_alt Current students
    • arrow_right_alt New UTS students
    • arrow_right_alt Graduates (Alumni)
    • arrow_right_alt High school students
    • arrow_right_alt Indigenous students
    • arrow_right_alt International students
  • Admissions

    • arrow_right_alt How to apply
    • arrow_right_alt Entry pathways
    • arrow_right_alt Eligibility
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for students

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Apply for a coursearrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Scholarshipsarrow_right_alt
  • Featured industries

    • arrow_right_alt Agriculture and food
    • arrow_right_alt Defence and space
    • arrow_right_alt Energy and transport
    • arrow_right_alt Government and policy
    • arrow_right_alt Health and medical
    • arrow_right_alt Corporate training
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Tech Central
    • arrow_right_alt Case studies
    • arrow_right_alt Research
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for industry

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Partner with usarrow_right_alt
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Explore our research
    • arrow_right_alt Research centres and institutes
    • arrow_right_alt Graduate research
    • arrow_right_alt Research partnerships
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for research

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Research centres and institutesarrow_right_alt
  • University of Technology Sydney home
Explore the University of Technology Sydney
Category Filters:
University of Technology Sydney home University of Technology Sydney home
  1. home
  2. arrow_forward_ios ... Newsroom
  3. arrow_forward_ios ... 2023
  4. arrow_forward_ios 08
  5. arrow_forward_ios A Holistic Look into Engineering

A Holistic Look into Engineering

14 August 2023
Software Development Studio

To gain a more holistic understanding of engineering, we sat down with Julia Prior, the Head of Innovation and Software Development Strategy at WiseTech Global. Julia helped shed light on the importance of human interaction and collaboration, to facilitate excellence in engineering. 

When people think of engineering, their thoughts stray towards the technical. Common images that come to mind may include circuits, robots and complex, never-ending code. But the technical side alone isn’t what allows engineering as we know it to flourish. 

Julia’s primary role involves collaborating with software developers, to improve current processes and ensure that they are supportive of the developers’ expertise. This in turn enhances productivity and overall quality of work. Her PhD thesis used ethnography as a research methodology, to delve into the way people can work collaboratively to solve complex problems. 

This approach is also what inspired her design of the Software Development Studio at UTS, which she established in 2014 and ran until 2020. Her key considerations were collaboration and the forging of meaningful relationships. Students are placed in groups of mixed year level and experience for two main reasons: 

  1. Accountability: There is an inherent desire to do well, to avoid disappointing your teammates. This means each individual is more motivated to stay on track and contribute to overall success. 

  1. Distributed cognition: The diversity in age and experience encourages group members to experiment and take risks, allowing for greater innovation. It also enables groups to harness their collective skills to accomplish the end goal.  

Some important advice Julia wishes to impart on young people pursuing careers in engineering, is to stay curious and build support networks. Especially for women in traditionally male-dominated fields, she says never be afraid to ask questions. Questions are essential for personal and professional growth. They help catalyse systemic and cultural change. 

Read more about our 
Lucy Mentoring and 
WiSR Mentoring programs!

Alongside this, it is crucial to have mentors of varying degrees. For example, try to find a mentor with high technical capacity, a mentor in a leadership role and a mentor with excellent communication; together they will ensure your skills are well-rounded and enhance your versatility as a young professional. Julia says it is also a great idea to find yourself a sponsor. They differ from a mentor, as their primary role is to expand your networks and open up opportunities for career growth. Whilst it may initially seem daunting to seek out mentors, remember that they are on your side! They will be there to support you, assist in your endeavours and celebrate your successes.  

We were also keen to gain Julia's perspective on prioritising human-centred design in engineering. She said that in complex, technical degrees like engineering, a human-centred approach stems from asking questions, such as: 

  • What is the impact on the user?

  • Have we considered the implications on our stakeholders?  

When working on an engineering project, asking these types of questions will ensure your design and development are enhancing people’s lives. It will ensure that your choices are deliberate and made with empathy. 

So the next time you think about engineering, think about how diverse it is. It is a discipline that not only relies on technical expertise but rather, thrives on curiosity, innovation, collaboration, empathy and meaningful relationships.  

Nikitha Rao, Gender Equity Ambassador

Share
Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn
Back to Women in Engineering and IT News

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and the Boorooberongal People of the Dharug Nation upon whose ancestral lands our campuses now stand. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands. 

University of Technology Sydney

City Campus

15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007

Get in touch with UTS

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook

A member of

  • Australian Technology Network
Use arrow keys to navigate within each column of links. Press Tab to move between columns.

Study

  • Find a course
  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate
  • How to apply
  • Scholarships and prizes
  • International students
  • Campus maps
  • Accommodation

Engage

  • Find an expert
  • Industry
  • News
  • Events
  • Experience UTS
  • Research
  • Stories
  • Alumni

About

  • Who we are
  • Faculties
  • Learning and teaching
  • Sustainability
  • Initiatives
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Campus and locations
  • Awards and rankings
  • UTS governance

Staff and students

  • Current students
  • Help and support
  • Library
  • Policies
  • StaffConnect
  • Working at UTS
  • UTS Handbook
  • Contact us
  • Copyright © 2025
  • ABN: 77 257 686 961
  • CRICOS provider number: 00099F
  • TEQSA provider number: PRV12060
  • TEQSA category: Australian University
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility