Mott MacDonald’s Sun Yan Evans elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK

Sun Yan Evans, Mott MacDonald flood risk and water quality technical director, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the highest accolade in the profession.

Each year Fellows of the Academy nominate and elect their peers for this prestigious Fellowship in recognition of their contributions towards the engineering profession. This is the highest national honour that an engineer can receive and is awarded to the UK’s most preeminent engineers representing the nation’s best engineering researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and business and industry leaders.

Sun Yan Evans is internationally recognised as a leading expert in flood risk and water quality modelling. As technical director, former global practice leader, and Mott MacDonald inaugural Fellow, she has led specialist teams and delivered pioneering projects across more than 25 countries.

Her work has advanced dam breach flood inundation modelling, hazard mapping and smart solutions for assessing overtopping risks in flood defences and reservoirs. Her methodologies have shaped national and international guidelines, including those for the UK Government and the World Bank.

Sun Yan has published over 40 technical papers, contributed to the Institution of Civil Engineers’ State of the Nation reports and co-authored several books and guidelines. Her expertise has been called upon in public inquiries, legal cases and high-profile projects.  She has also received more than 20 industry accolades, including the prestigious Women in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management award.

Her leadership blends technical excellence with a deep commitment to inclusion, knowledge-sharing and innovation. As James Harris, chair of Mott MacDonald’s executive board, puts it: “That’s leadership at its best.”

Sun Yan joins Chris Dulake, global sector lead for transport, Mark Enzer, strategic advisory director in advisory executive, Simon Harrison, group head of strategy and Tony O’Brien global practice lead for geotechnics, as Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows, supporting Mott MacDonalds quest for excellence in all it does.