Sue Ion

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title: "Sue Ion" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1955-births", "living-people", "people-from-penwortham", "alumni-of-imperial-college-london", "dames-grand-cross-of-the-order-of-the-british-empire", "fellows-of-the-royal-academy-of-engineering", "female-fellows-of-the-royal-academy-of-engineering", "fellows-of-the-institution-of-mechanical-engineers", "british-nuclear-engineers", "female-fellows-of-the-royal-society", "21st-century-british-women-engineers", "21st-century-british-engineers", "fellows-of-the-institute-of-materials,-minerals-and-mining", "british-fellows-of-the-royal-society"] description: "British engineer (born 1955)" topic_path: "engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Ion" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British engineer (born 1955) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox scientist"]

Field	Value
name	Dame Sue Ion
honorific_suffix
image	Dame Sue Ion DBE FREng FRS (cropped).jpg
caption	Ion in 2016
birth_name	Susan Elizabeth Burrows
birth_date
death_date
workplaces	Royal Academy of Engineering
Nuclear Institute
Imperial College London
University of Manchester
British Nuclear Fuels
education	Penwortham Girls Grammar School
alma_mater	Imperial College London (BSc, PhD)
thesis_title	Dynamic recrystallisation in a magnesium alloy
thesis_url	http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.450313
doctoral_advisor	{{Plainlist
* F.J. Humphreys<ref name	ionphd/
* S.H. White<ref name	ionphd/}}
spouse
module
::

| honorific_prefix = | name = Dame Sue Ion | honorific_suffix = | image = Dame Sue Ion DBE FREng FRS (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Ion in 2016 | birth_name = Susan Elizabeth Burrows | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | workplaces = Royal Academy of Engineering Nuclear Institute Imperial College London University of Manchester British Nuclear Fuels | education = Penwortham Girls Grammar School | alma_mater = Imperial College London (BSc, PhD) | thesis_title = Dynamic recrystallisation in a magnesium alloy | thesis_url = http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.450313 | doctoral_advisor = {{Plainlist|

• F.J. Humphreys
• S.H. White}} | awards = | spouse = | module = Dame Susan Elizabeth Ion (; née Burrows; born 3 February 1955) is a British engineer and an expert advisor on the nuclear power industry.

Ion was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2012 for contributions to nuclear fuel development.

Early life and education

Born on 3 February 1955 in Cumbria, she is the daughter of Lawrence James Burrows, a planning officer for British Rail, and Doris Burrows (née Cherry), a secretary.

Ion was educated at Penwortham Girls Grammar School near Preston, Lancashire in the same year as Nancy Rothwell. As a young student, she enjoyed science, which her parents encouraged by letting her do chemistry experiments in the family's kitchen.

At school, she took a leadership role as Head Girl from 1972 to 1973 and deputy leader of the orchestra. At 16, Ion won a book on atomic energy as a prize for her O-levels in science, which helped inspire her enthusiasm for the topic. She recalled, "When I was in school ... it was quite different. You were given every encouragement possible to do science subjects if you were interested in them".

Ion went on to study Materials Science at Imperial College London, where she gained a first-class honours degree in 1976, and subsequently a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science in 1979, supervised by F.J. Humphreys and S.H. White.

She taught in an inner-city school in London while completing her doctorate and used supplies from the college laboratories in her lessons to help students become enthusiastic about the industry. "Where there is no vision ... the people perish", she says.

Career and research

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Dame_Sue_Ion_at_QED_Question_Explore_Discover_conference_2015_01.jpg" caption="QED conference]] in Manchester"] ::

In 1979, Ion was first hired as a technical officer at British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). At the time, she and one other woman were the only females working in the chemical engineering department.

In 1992, she was promoted to Executive Director of Technology, a position Ion held within the organisation until 2006.

During this time, nuclear or atomic energy was viewed as a valuable source of energy, along with the existing coal industry, and a necessary part of rebuilding post-war Britain. It was, according to Ion, an exciting industry with a vibrant research and development program and great prospects. As she told Jim Al-Khalili in a 2013 interview for BBC Radio Four, "Nothing over time has changed my view of that".

As technical director of BNFL, Ion held a seat on Tony Blair's Council for Science and Technology and has been credited with persuading Blair to change Labour's official government's policy on nuclear power.

Ion's work, along with David King, took about 10 years of educating government officials to consider the scientific evidence surrounding the issues of nuclear power and renewable energy to inform policy. She helped advise Gordon Brown on long-term energy policies.

In 2004, Ion was among 180 women invited to a "Women's Theme Day" luncheon at Buckingham Palace in recognition of her contributions to the field of science and technology.

Ion was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 1996 and was a vice-president from 2002 to 2008.

In 2006, Ion was appointed visiting professor of Imperial College and admitted to the Fellowship of the college in 2005.

Nuclear power and renewable energy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/QEDCon_Day_One-94_(17333369312).jpg" caption="Sue Ion at QEDCon"] ::

Ion has studied energy supplies for more than 30 years. She spent a lot of time early in her career advising government officials about nuclear reactors and countering the negativity caused by the incidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

Ion supports the development of smaller, modular versions of nuclear reactors for their economy of size, portability and cost. These smaller reactors would, most likely, be housed on existing nuclear sites licensed for that purpose.

Ion views her biggest challenge is "persuading decades-worth of politicians that nuclear energy is really needed." Her position is that renewable energy sources (particularly wind power), coal and nuclear power will be necessary components of Britain's energy policy moving forward.

Science education and gender stereotypes

In Ion's outreach as a spokesperson for the nuclear power industry, she has expressed a belief that more needs to be done to attract women into the field of engineering. She has expressed concerns that some areas of the educational system still view engineering as a subject only for males.

While major institutions may support the idea of females entering the field of science and engineering, Ion notes that grade schools under the current system may not provide the prerequisite coursework early enough in students' academic careers for them to be successful at university.

Ion supports educational programs that support all students, regardless of gender, to explore science and develop the skills necessary to replace what the Royal Academy of Engineering views as a retiring workforce. In response to a report commissioned by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) discussing the UK's plans for future energy production, she cautions: "There will be an unprecedented demand for new infrastructure to support the changes in the energy industry. There are not enough people going into university to study engineering and provide all the turbine specialists, heavy electrical engineers and construction engineers that will be required".

Committee service

• EU Euratom Science and Technology Committee (Chair since 2010)
• Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (Chair)
• Board of Governors of Manchester University (since 2004)
• Health and Safety Laboratory in Buxton (board member, 2006–2014)
• Council for Science and Technology (2004–2011)
• MacRobert Award Judging Panel for the Royal Academy of Engineering (Chair, 2015)
• Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (Member, 1994–2001)
• Council for The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (Member, 2005)
• UK's Fusion Advisory for the Research Council (Chair)

Selected publications

• For and Against with G. Kane (Engineering and Technology, 2011)
• The UK must take the lead on carbon capture and storage (Financial Times, 2008)
• Nuclear Energy: Current Situation and Prospects to 2020 (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 2007)
• South Africa nuclear project arousing US interest (Financial Times, 2005)
• BNFL reactor far ahead on efficiency and safety (Financial Times, 2000)

Keynotes and interviews

• Guest Speaker, QED conference, Manchester, UK (April 2015)
• Keynote speaker, IChemE's Sustainable Nuclear Energy Conference, Manchester, UK (April 2014)
• The nuclear power industry and the politics of power. The Life Scientific, Radio 4 (February 2013)
• "How safe is nuclear power?" Infinite Monkey Cage, Radio 4, London, UK (November 2013)
• Opportunities and Challenges Facing the Nuclear Power Industry, Athena Lecture at Imperial College (May 2004)

Personal life

She married John Albert Ion in 1980 and lives in Leyland, Lancashire.

Honours

Ion was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours and Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to engineering. She represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation.

Scholastic

; Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships ::data[format=table]

Location	Date	School	Position
England	2006Present	Imperial College London	Visiting Professor
England	2004Present	University of Manchester	Governor
England	2005Present	University of Central Lancashire	Honorary Fellow
England	2007Present	University of Central Lancashire	Honorary Professor
England	2011Present	London South Bank University	Visiting Professor
::

;Honorary degrees

::data[format=table]

Location	Date	School	Degree	Gave commencement address
England	2011	University of Lancaster	Doctor of Science (D.Sc)	Yes
England	21 July 2017	Edge Hill University	Doctor of Science (D.Sc)	Yes
England	November 2017	University of Chester	Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng)	Yes
::

Memberships and fellowships

::data[format=table]

Location	Date	Institution	Position
United Kingdom	1996Present	Royal Academy of Engineering	Fellow (FREng)
United States of America	2012Present	National Academy of Engineering	International Member
United Kingdom	2016Present	Royal Society	Fellow (FRS)
United Kingdom	18 November 2016Present	Institution of Mechanical Engineers	Honorary Fellow (FIMechE)
United Kingdom		Institute of Physics	Honorary Fellow (HonFInstP)
United Kingdom		Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining	Fellow (FIMMM)
::

Awards

::data[format=table]

Location	Date	Institution	Award
United Kingdom	2014	Royal Academy of Engineering	President's Medal
::

References

References

1. Anon. (2017). "Ion, Dame Susan Elizabeth".
2. "The Royal Institution of Great Britain".
3. (26 February 2013). "Sue Ion".
4. "Woman's Hour Power List, Woman's Hour – Dame Sue Ion".
5. {{Scopus id
6. [http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/newsletters/summer-newsletter-2009 Profile of Sue Ion], raeng.org.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
7. "BBC Radio 4 – Woman's Hour, Woman's Hour Power List – Dame Sue Ion".
8. {{AcademicSearch. 22456642
9. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120117024012/http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/10/24/why-we-cannot-keep-the-lights-on-without-nuclear-energy/ Why we cannot keep the lights on without nuclear energy]'' (Blog post for [[The Independent]])
10. (5 April 2013). "Woman's Hour: Jenny Pitman; Sue Ion goes back to school". BBC.
11. (26 October 2014). "Great minds don't all think alike: Current heroes of STEM prove that ideas can come in any shape or form, finds Helena Pozniak". The Sunday Telegraph.
12. [https://www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk/about-pghs/alumnae/dame-sue-ion/ Alumnae: Dame Sue Ion] - website of [[Penwortham Girls' High School]]
13. Burrows, Susan Elizabeth. (1979). "Dynamic recrystallisation in a magnesium alloy". Imperial College London.
14. (4 May 2010). "Dame Sue Ion, veteran nuclear fuels expert". The Engineer.
15. (4 October 2014). "If Engineering is hot, will it expand to meet demand for new recruits?". The Independent.
16. (15 March 2014). "100 Makers of the 21st Century: Welcome to the second of a three-part special, featuring 25 more of the 100 most influential Britons of the modern age: the people who, for better or worse, are shaping our lives". Sunday Times.
17. (12 March 2004). "Buckingham Palace women's lunch". The Times.
18. (12 March 2004). "Lunch with the high achievers". The Guardian.
19. (11 March 2004). "All the Queen's women; 180 attend special lunch at the Palace". London Evening Standard.
20. "Sue Ion". WES.
21. (26 October 2005). "Imperial College London bestows its highest honours in Commemoration Day ceremony". Imperial College London.
22. (15 February 2013). "Flexible Fission: Nuclear". Financial Times.
23. (7 October 2010). "Sue Ion: Age 55. No. 96 – Gone Nuclear". The Times.
24. (14 November 2010). "100 most powerful women in Britain: From the towering figures of law, medicine and politics to the familiar faces of television, film and fashion, we reveal the women who wield the most influence – visibly or invisibly – over our lives today". The Sunday Telegraph.
25. (14 February 2002). "Survival of the fittest, or an old boys' club?". The Independent.
26. (24 May 2007). "Reaction intentions are good, but can it deliver in time, asks the critics". The Daily Telegraph.
27. (26 November 2006). "Switching on to the nuclear option". Sunday Times.
28. (6 February 2015). "More women needed in IT, Science, Maths and Engineering Professions". Targeted News Service.
29. (16 March 2004). "Education: Higher: Show me the money: The government's top scientific advisory board is relaunched for the third time after a series of failures. Anthea M. Lipsett says the new team has a lot to prove". The Guardian.
30. (21 May 2015). "Three British companies compete for prestitious engineering prize". The Daily Telegraph.
31. "Dr Dame Sue Ion, FREng". University of Cumbria.
32. (1 September 2011). "For and against". Engineering & Technology.
33. (18 September 2008). "The UK must take the lead on carbon capture and storage". Financial Times.
34. (February 2007). "Nuclear energy: current situation and prospects to 2020". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.
35. (10 February 2005). "South Africa nuclear project arousing US interest". Financial Times.
36. (13 June 2000). "BNFL reactor far ahead on efficiency and safety". Financial Times.
37. (April 2015). "Question, Explore, Discover". QEDcon.org.
38. (1 April 2014). "Managing the Skills Transition to Nuclear New Build". Targeted News Service.
39. (28 August 2013). "Nuclear Safety Makes Encouraging Progress". Targeted News Service.
40. (26 February 2013). "Radio Choice". The Daily Telegraph.
41. (17 November 2013). "The Infinite Monkey Cage: Risk (Series 9, episode 1)". BBC.
42. (21 May 2004). "Nuclear power: a solution to climate change or a victim of its history? – Dr. Sue Ion debates the future of nuclear energy". Imperial College.
43. (19 January 2014). "The lights will go out if we don't go nuclear: Dame Sue Ion, 58, one of the UK's top nuclear experts and a government adviser, talks about her unswerving commitment to nuclear power – whatever the opposition". Sunday Times.
44. "Order of the British Empire Appointments 31 December 2009".
45. {{London Gazette. (1 June 2022)
46. (5 May 2023). "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News.
47. "Dame Sue Ion".
48. "Honorary Awards".
49. "Honorary Graduates".
50. "Honorary Awards".
51. (21 July 2017). "UK's foremost female nuclear engineer collects honorary degree".
52. (23 June 2020). "Honorary doctor inspires women to think about a career in engineering".
53. (18 March 2019). "Honorary Graduates 2017".
54. "List of Fellows".
55. "Dr. Susan Elizabeth Ion".
56. "Sue Ion's Royal Society Fellowship Biography".
57. "Dame Sue Ion inducted as an Honorary Fellow".
58. "Honorary Fellows: Dame Sue Ion".
59. "2014-2017 winners".

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