Tribology often works quietly in the background, but its impact is far-reaching. Wherever surfaces meet, move or interact, tribology helps us understand performance, reliability, texture, wear and feel. It is a field that spans traditional engineering, emerging technologies and everyday human experiences, often in ways people do not immediately see.

In this feature, we spotlight three women working across different areas of tribology, each bringing their own experience, perspective and route into the field: Dr Na Tyrer, whose work focuses on automotive lubrication and electrified systems; Eleanor Barrett, Test Engineer at PCS Instruments and Mechanical Engineering PhD student at Imperial College London, whose research explores oral tribology and dysphagia fluids; and Dr Manisha Tripathy, whose research explores materials and surfaces in extreme environments.

Their routes into tribology are very different. Together, they show how specialist fields can be discovered through courses, projects, workplaces and mentors, and why visibility matters for the next generation of engineers.

Finding Their Way into Tribology

For all three women, tribology was not necessarily an obvious destination. Their routes into the field were shaped by different moments of discovery, from formal study to workplace exposure and research opportunity.

Na Tyrer first encountered tribology through an undergraduate course at Oakland University, where she became interested in the way microscopic interactions, such as asperity contact and tribofilms, could influence the behaviour of an entire system. For Eleanor Barrett, that first exposure came later, through PCS Instruments. “I had not heard of tribology until I started at PCS Instruments,” she admits. Coming from analytical chemistry roles, she was struck by how widely the field applied across industries and applications.

For Manisha Tripathy, the route was different again. During her master’s programme, she approached a professor known for his tribology course and asked to join a summer research project. “That summer project turned into a master’s thesis and then my PhD dissertation,” she recalls. In a twist of fate, the course itself was cancelled. “After all these years, I still haven’t taken that tribology course.”

Together, their stories show how specialist fields are often entered through unexpected openings: a course that sparks interest, a role that reveals a new discipline, or a project that becomes something much bigger.

Explaining Tribology to the World

Tribology can be difficult to explain because so much of it happens at interfaces people rarely see. Surfaces meet, slide, wear, lubricate and change, but the effects are often only noticed through the way a system performs, feels or fails.

For Tripathy, this makes tribology “the science of vibes between surfaces.” It is a playful description, but one that captures something real: surfaces do not simply touch, they interact. They can move smoothly together, resist each other, wear down or rely on lubrication to perform as intended.

Tyrer brings that idea into a more technical context. Friction is not always undesirable. In many applications, the challenge is not to remove friction completely, but to understand and control it. Her work often involves “manipulating different parameters to achieve the optimal level of friction,” whether for efficiency, durability or performance.

Barrett grounds the concept in everyday experience. “Rolling element bearings and gears are not things that everyone has come into contact with,” she notes, so she prefers relatable examples, such as the mechanics inside a ballpoint pen, to show how tribology appears in daily life as well as specialist engineering.

Together, their explanations show why tribology is difficult to define in a single sentence. It is intuitive, technical and surprisingly familiar: a field concerned with the small surface interactions that influence how things move, feel, perform and last.

Pivotal Moments and Proud Achievements

Their proudest moments also show the range of tribology careers, from research decisions and industry standards to chemistry-led problem solving.

For Tripathy, her proudest moment was choosing to return to academia after a period in industry. She loved the fast-paced variety of industrial work, but research offered something deeper: the chance to chase every “why.” Walking away from stability was difficult, she admits, but ultimately the right decision. “Nothing quite replaced the joys of research… that’s what makes me the happiest.”

Tyrer’s pride lies in her contributions to GM’s Dexos and Dexron lubricant specifications. She helped strengthen the requirements that define these premium engine and transmission oils. “I was proud to be part of moving premium to the next level,” she says, a testament to the impact tribologists can have on global automotive standards.

Barrett highlights her master’s project, where she designed and synthesised a novel molecule intended to act as a diode in a molecular circuit. “I did make the molecule I set out to make, and it did work as a diode,” she says. The creative, puzzle-like process of designing synthetic routes and validating the final molecule remains a defining achievement.

The Future of Tribology: Electrification, AI and New Frontiers

All three women are energised by the rapid evolution of the field, and by the way tribology is being pushed into new questions by changing technologies.

Electrification is one of the clearest examples. As electric vehicles introduce new lubrication challenges, researchers are having to understand how materials behave not only under motion, load and contact, but also when exposed to electrical currents. Tripathy is particularly interested in the need for “better in-situ testing methods… under electrified conditions,” while Barrett points to emerging evidence of electrical arcing damage and says she is “really interested to see how tribology is affected by electricity.”

These questions are also changing how tribological systems are studied. Tyrer sees enormous potential in simulation, molecular dynamics and artificial intelligence, noting that “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence… is a direction of the future.” These tools can reduce the physical effort required to study complex systems and help accelerate product development.

Taken together, their perspectives point to a field moving beyond established test conditions and into more complex, real-world environments. Whether through electrified contacts, in-situ testing or computational tools, the future of tribology will depend on understanding what happens at surfaces with greater accuracy, speed and context.

Approaching Challenges with Curiosity and Clarity

Curiosity also shapes the way each woman approaches technical challenges, though it shows up in different ways: as a willingness to ask simple questions, a structured method for diagnosing problems, and an openness to collaboration.

For Tripathy, the starting point is often to ask questions, especially the ones that seem trivial. She believes the best way to tackle scientific or collaborative challenges is to “focus on the basics, stripping away jargon and assumptions.” In a complex field, clarity can come from returning to first principles.

Tyrer brings that same clarity into a more structured engineering process: understand the application, analyse the interactions of mating surfaces, identify the wear mechanism, determine the root cause, and then develop a solution. Her approach reflects the discipline required to diagnose tribological failures across diverse systems.

For Barrett, problem-solving is closely tied to collaboration. Working with a diverse client base at PCS Instruments has taught her that she “cannot be an expert in every client’s field.” Instead, she relies on open dialogue and asking questions, even when they seem basic. Talking through ideas with clients gives her “a much more well-defined plan of what I need to do.”

Together, their approaches show that expertise in tribology is not only about knowing more, but knowing how to ask better questions: of the system, the application and the people around it.

Advice for Young Women Entering Tribology

When asked what advice they would give to young women considering engineering or tribology, all three return to a similar message: confidence does not have to come before entering the field. Often, it develops by staying curious, asking questions and finding the right people around you.

Tripathy urges women not to let unfamiliarity shake their confidence. “Keep showing up,” she says. The discomfort fades faster than expected. She also highlights the supportive nature of the tribology community and encourages asking for help “generously and often.”

Tyrer echoes that balance of curiosity and community. “Don’t be afraid of asking questions, stay curious,” she advises. She also recommends joining societies like STLE or SWE to build networks that support both technical and personal growth.

For Barrett, the message is direct: “Go for it!” Having moved into engineering from a chemistry background, she understands the feeling of being underqualified. Now completing a PhD in mechanical engineering, she encourages young women to seek out informal mentors, noting, “I have had at least one of these people in every job role I’ve had… they have been so generous with their time.”

Together, their advice suggests that entering a specialist field is not about knowing everything from the start. It is about staying open, asking for support and continuing to build expertise.

Skills for Tomorrow’s Engineers

Looking ahead, all three point to the need for engineers who can combine strong fundamentals with adaptability.

For Tripathy, versatility will be increasingly important. She highlights coding, experimentation and computational thinking as key skills for future engineers, particularly as tribology continues to engage with more complex systems and data-rich methods.

Tyrer also emphasises the importance of technical depth but adds that engineers need to understand the wider context in which their work sits. Business awareness, humility and a commitment to lifelong learning all play a role in translating technical knowledge into practical progress.

Barrett brings this back to creativity and critical thinking. As AI makes technical tasks more accessible, she believes engineers will need a deep understanding of scientific principles, as well as the ability to generate real, reliable data. Imagination, combined with powerful digital tools, will be essential for solving real-world problems.

Together, their answers suggest that the next generation of engineers will need more than technical knowledge alone. They will need to be adaptable, curious and able to move between experimentation, computation and practical application.

What They’re Working on Now

Their current work shows just how varied tribology can be, spanning extreme environments, electrified mobility and human-centred applications.

Tripathy’s research explores grain boundary migration under cryogenic conditions, phenomena critical to spacecraft components and superconducting magnet assemblies. “Wear and friction ultimately come down to what happens at the sliding surface,” she explains, and cryogenic environments reshape microstructures in unique ways.

Tyrer is investigating how electrical currents in EV lubricants influence tribofilm formation, component durability and fluid chemistry. Her work aims to support the development of more effective lubricants for electrified mobility.

Barrett’s work brings tribology into a very different setting: the mechanics of swallowing. She is developing a representative test methodology for oral tribology, aiming to “mimic the relative surfaces in motion within a healthy human swallow.” By translating a complex biological process into a controlled tribological test, her research seeks to support the development of xerostomia aids: products designed to help individuals who cannot produce enough saliva.

Celebrating Women in Tribology

Tribology is often described through surfaces, friction, wear and lubrication, but this feature shows that the field is also shaped by the people who find their way into it, ask better questions and apply their expertise to very different challenges.

Na Tyrer, Eleanor Barrett and Dr Manisha Tripathy each bring a different perspective to tribology. Their work spans automotive lubrication, oral tribology, electrified systems and extreme environments, showing the breadth of a discipline that often works quietly in the background but plays a vital role in how technologies perform, last and improve.

For Women’s Equality Day, that visibility matters. When specialist fields are better understood, the routes into them become easier to see. By sharing these perspectives, PCS Instruments hopes to recognise women already contributing to tribology while helping make the field more visible to those who may follow.