CELEBRATING STEM STORIES
Animesh Anand
Job Title: Engineering Academic Tutor at the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Center.
Disability: Autism & ADHD
Animesh teaches engineering at the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Center. As an autistic person who loves solving problems and talking to people, his job is perfect for him.
At school, Animesh was always asking why things are the way they are. Why do we wear clothes made out of cotton? Why are the gates made out of metal? Engineering gave him a way to answer these questions, and understand the fascinating world around him.
For Animesh, diversity in engineering brings about creativity. He finds that people who deal with more problems on a daily basis, including LGBT+ people, disabled people and neurodiverse people, become better problem solvers by nature. Solving problems in unusual ways is an excellent skill for engineers to have.
Being autistic also means that Animesh understands when his students just need a few minutes out of a lesson. His experience of being overwhelmed at school makes it easier to relate to his students, and he’s proud of breaking down barriers as an autistic teacher.
Animesh believes that working in engineering (and in STEM) as a disabled person is getting easier over time, as more companies are adapting to be more inclusive.
And if not? Animesh’s advice is to be the change yourself. “Embrace the idea that you deserve the space that you have, and you deserve the space that you exist in. Because limiting yourself is only going to be limiting your potential.”