Leading aerospace specialist brings expertise as visiting professor

Teesside University has strengthened its commitment to sustainable engineering with involvement of leading aerospace specialist Dr Lakshmi Lavanya Parimi as a Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Visiting Professor.

Dr Parimi, a Principal Research Specialist at GKN Aerospace, has a distinguished career in advanced manufacturing and sustainable materials.

The RAEng Visiting Professors Scheme brings senior industry experts to UK universities to strengthen teaching, enhance employability, and support long-term industry collaboration. The programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

As Visiting Professor, Dr Parimi will integrate sustainability focused industrial insight into Teesside University’s engineering programmes, working closely with academic teams to strengthen curriculum content, introduce real world aerospace case studies, and advise on embedding sustainability principles across all engineering disciplines.

Her contribution will directly support students’ technical, professional and systems thinking development, preparing graduates to play a vital role in the UK’s transition to net zero.

Her three-year appointment, which started in September, is supported by Dr Jinoop Arackal Narayanan, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering in Teesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies.

Dr Parimi’s appointment comes at a significant time for the Tees Valley, where advanced manufacturing remains a major economic driver and a central pillar of the region’s clean-growth strategy. As heavy-industry clusters continue their own low-carbon transformation, demand is rising for engineers with expertise in sustainable processes and materials. Her industry experience will strengthen the pipeline of graduates equipped to join this expanding green workforce.

The appointment also reinforces Teesside University’s contribution to regional space-sector growth. As the North East’s only provider of aerospace engineering education, the University plays a key role in supporting ambitions outlined in the Space North East England strategy, which aims to expand sector employment in the region by 2030.

In addition to her academic and industrial leadership, Dr Parimi will play an active role in widening participation in STEM, through involvement in Women in Engineering activities, by contributing to initiatives that build student confidence and employability, and support outreach programmes such as Hello World, which aims to inspire girls and young women to pursue pathways in engineering and digital technologies.

Dr Parimi, RAEng Visiting Professor, said: “This role provides a unique platform to share industry-driven sustainable manufacturing practices with the next generation of engineers. I look forward to working with students and staff to embed sustainability, innovation and real-world industrial insight into engineering education.”

Dr Narayanan said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Parimi. Her appointment will have a transformative impact on our students, teaching, research and wider academic practice by embedding sustainability at the heart of manufacturing and materials education. This partnership strengthens our collaboration with GKN Aerospace and supports our mission to prepare industry-ready graduates who can drive innovation and net-zero goals.”

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