The barrier breaker

Prof Anne Fitchett is engineering a more inclusive future

- Jamaine Krige

In a field often seen as rigid and exclusive, Prof Anne Fitchett has built a career doing the opposite — breaking down barriers and creating new pathways for those historically excluded from engineering.

"I've always believed our role as educators goes far beyond the lecture hall," she says. "We are here to nurture lifelong learners and future problem-solvers who can carry the profession forward with innovation and integrity."

Fitchett is an honorary associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and served as assistant dean in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment before retiring. She has received the NSTF-South32 Award for Engineering Research Capacity Development, recognising her decades-long commitment to reshaping how engineering is taught — and who gets to learn it.