YWCA Hamilton has announced its nominees for the 2026 Women of Distinction awards, and 39 of these 73 leaders, innovators, and trailblazers are also part of the McMaster community.
The nominations, announced this month, recognize extraordinary women and girls from a range of fields who are making an impact in the community.
The winners will be announced March 5 at the annual Women of Distinction Gala, an event that celebrates these leaders while raising money for YWCA programs and services for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals.
Click here to learn about last year’s winners
In addition to six categories of nominations based on the field in which nominees work, there is also a Lifetime Achievement Award with nominees from each category; and a Young Trailblazer Award, which recognizes individuals younger than 25 who are already inspiring leaders.
Here’s the list of this year’s McMaster nominees. Names marked with an * asterisk have also been nominated for Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Arts & Culture
Elise Naccarato | 2015 Faculty of Humanities (Music)
Naccarato is a dynamic conductor whose choral journey began with the Hamilton Children’s Choir, sparking a passion that continues to shape her career. She is the founder and conductor of Myriad Ensemble, guiding its remarkable growth over five seasons into a vibrant and collaborative community of over 70 members. Naccarato holds an Honours Bachelor of Music and a Diploma in Voice Performance from McMaster University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto, and a 2024 MBA in Innovation Leadership from the University of Fredericton. Alongside her work with Myriad, she serves as Managing Director of Chorus Niagara, guest clinician, and board member of Choirs Ontario, dedicated to inspiring and advancing the choral arts.
Jessica Allen | 1998 Faculty of Humanities (Art History/Classical Civilization) | Alumni Gallery Member
Allen is a correspondent on CTV’s The Social, Canada’s most-watched daytime talk show, where she has won two Canadian Screen Awards. Previously a national columnist at Metro and an assistant editor at Maclean’s, she earned a National Magazine Award nomination for her TIFF coverage and later returned to host the ceremony. Her career has led her to bake pies for Kyle MacLachlan, reveal fake tattoos to Ryan Reynolds, and interview figures from Trevor Noah and Greta Gerwig to an archaeologist who brews ancient beers. She also appeared in the TIFF-screened short film This Is Not About Swimming and made a guest appearance on Murdoch Mysteries. Born in St. Thomas, she now lives in Hamilton with her partner.
Lisa La Rocca | 2012 Faculty of Humanities (Communication/Multimedia Studies)
La Rocca is Director of Operations at Sonic Unyon Records and a leading force in Hamilton’s cultural sector. With 15+ years in music operations and festival leadership, she has helped grow Supercrawl into one of Ontario’s largest free festivals. She founded Fresh Up Fest, an acclaimed R&B, hip-hop, and soul series centering BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ artists. La Rocca chairs the Hamilton Music Advisory Team, co-chairs Women in Music Hamilton/Halton, JUNO 2026 Events & Nighttime Economy Subcommittee and the Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association Board. Additionally, she serves on the Downtown Hamilton BIA. A 2025 Hamilton Arts Award recipient and PhD candidate at York University, she is recognized nationally for her equity-driven leadership and transformative impact on the music industry.
Nancy Fedorovitch* | 1972 Faculty of Social Sciences (Sociology)
Fedorovitch was born in Hamilton in 1950 and moved with her family to Burlington when she was eight. Her parents fostered a love of the performing and visual arts by taking her to countless concerts, plays and art galleries. She completed a BA Honours in Sociology at McMaster University in 1972 and a Certificate in Television Production from Carleton University in 1984. Nancy worked for the Canadian government for 32 years as a Senior Legislative Policy Advisor. She returned to Burlington in 2005 to care for her parents. After their passing and after surviving a battle with cancer, Fedorovitch established the Fedorovitch Family Foundation, which supports her chosen women’s social services and cultural organizations annually and in perpetuity.
Santee Smith | 1994, 2005 Faculty of Social Sciences (Kinesiology & Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour) | Chancellor 2019-2025
Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa, a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehka Nation, Turtle Clan, Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River, is fostering mind-heart connections through performance and design. Trained at Canada’s National Ballet School, she holds degrees from McMaster University and York University. She became McMaster’s first Indigenous Chancellor in 2019 and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023, honouring her transformative impact on Indigenous performance and storytelling. She founded Kaha:wi Dance Theatre in 2004, an acclaimed studio rooted in Onkwehonwe:neha and Indigenous creative process. Her recent projects, SKéN:NEN and The Mush Hole, address identity, culture, and truths of residential schools. She curates land-based workshops and teaches at Banff Centre’s World Indigenous Dance Residency, advancing Indigenous performance research globally.
Community Champion
Alessandra Zecconi-Mitchell | 1999 Faculty of Social Sciences (Economics)
Zecconi-Mitchell is a devoted mother of two, full-time executive assistant at Armagh POS, and one of the most tireless volunteers in the Hamilton community. For 11 years she has served as Girl Guides Contact Guider, Treasurer, Purchase Card Holder, and Cookie Coordinator for 4th Ancaster Embers, while also volunteering weekly with Scouts Canada Ancaster Beavers. She has spent 14 years on school parent councils, and currently co-chairs with the Catholic Parent Involvement Committee. Through relentless leadership and creative fundraising, Zecconi-Mitchell transforms volunteer roles into life-changing opportunities for hundreds of children and families.
Jennifer Ayres | 2005 Faculty of Humanities (History) | Administrative Assistant, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Jennifer is a lifelong volunteer who started scouting at 14, advancing to Youth Leader (15-21) and Assistant Scout Leader in England (1994-2006). Back in Canada, she fundraised on parent committees (2007-2014), served as school helper (2015-2016) and treasurer (2016-2019). As current Scouts Group Commissioner and Apple Day Coordinator, she’s raised over $70,000 while leading 20-25 volunteers. Her career includes administrative roles at McMaster University, working with Dr. Gordon Guyatt (2010-2022) and now in Physics and Astronomy. Honored with the Paul Harris Fellow Award, she inspires others through dedicated leadership. Ayres exemplifies unwavering commitment to community service.
Jordan Carrier | 2022 Faculty of Social Sciences (Indigenous Studies)
Carrier is a proud nêhiyaw-iskwêw (Plains Cree woman) from Piapot First Nation in Treaty Four, now rooted in Hamilton since 2002. She holds a Diploma in Native Community Care, a B.Ed. in Aboriginal Adult Education, an Honours BA in Indigenous Studies, and an MA in Social Justice and Community Engagement. With nearly two decades of experience, Carrier currently provides strategic leadership in outreach and service planning as Director, Special Populations at Castlemain, for class action settlements impacting Indigenous peoples. Her work is rooted in advocacy, cultural connection, and self-determination, and is strengthened by community engagement and volunteerism. She also created One Dish, Many Stories and co-created Call Her Matriarch, podcasts amplifying and reclaiming narratives of Indigenous women and gender-diverse people.
Kim Ritchie | 2022 School of Social Work (Social Work)
Drawing from her powerful lived experiences with homelessness and substance use, Ritchie has become a resilient and passionate advocate for systemic change. Her journey fuelled a commitment to addressing social inequities, leading her to champion harm reduction and trauma-informed practices. This transformation is marked by significant academic and professional progress. Ritchie earned a Master of Social Work while becoming a leader in engineering innovative peer-led programs. A high point of her career was co-founding the National Overdose Response Service (NORS), Canada’s pioneering virtual drug consumption service, which has received 20,000 calls and saved 380 people from overdose. Today, as a social worker, researcher, and advocate, Ritchie bridges her lived experience with academic expertise to drive meaningful social change.
Laura Doull* | 2001 Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing)
Doull is a trailblazing nurse and lifelong advocate who has touched countless lives. From birthing babies in Hamilton to facilitating pregnancy and infant loss sensitivity education for healthcare professionals in many Ontario towns and cities, she turned invisible grief into shared healing-writing guides, training doctors and quilting warmth for shattered kids. A Girl Guide leader for over 37 years, she’s mentored waves of girls and families with stained-glass dreams and endless hugs, all while volunteering through crises, even helping at long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Humility in action, Doull knits, facilitates grief circles, and plays piano for seniors, quietly dismantling barriers for women, queer families, and the overlooked. Her compassion? Just fabric she weaves into hope. A true changemaker, Doull’s legacy glows.
Education & Training
Karen Balcom* | Associate Professor, History
Balcom is an Associate Professor of History and Gender and Social Justice at McMaster University. In December 2025, she completed her term as the Academic Co-Director for Teaching and Learning at McMaster’s Office of Community Engagement. She is an award-winning educator, a leader in community-engaged and experiential education, and a fierce advocate for equity in the classroom. Her teaching and mentorship have shaped how thousands of young people think about gender, race, social justice, community, and activism. But her impact goes well beyond her own classroom. Under her direction, the Office of Community Engagement has dramatically expanded capacity for community-engaged teaching and learning at McMaster, supporting hundreds of instructors across all disciplines in the challenging work of co-designing impactful projects with the City of Hamilton, local nonprofits, and community groups.
Karrena’onwe (Karen) Hill* | 2003 Faculty of Health Sciences (MD), Impact Award recipient 2016
Karen Hill (Karenna’onwe) is a Mohawk physician from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University. A McMaster graduate, she is dedicated to restoring Traditional Indigenous Knowledge in healthcare. She practises consultative medicine at Six Nations and co-created “Juddah’s Place,” a collaborative practice with Traditional Medicine Practitioners. She also works in the Indigenous Health Service at Brantford General Hospital. Hill completed a four-year apprenticeship in Traditional Indigenous Medicine and continues lifelong learning in both medicine and the Mohawk language. Her work reflects a deep commitment to cultural revitalization, community wellness, Indigenous-led healing practices, and lighting the path of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Mary McCracken* | 1976 Faculty of Humanities (French, Spanish)
McCracken is a lifelong Hamiltonian whose steadfast commitment to education, equity, and community service has transformed countless lives. The daughter of Japanese Canadian parents who rebuilt their lives in Hamilton after WWII internment, McCracken was raised with a deep belief in resilience, learning, and service. She earned a Master’s degree and spent 31 years teaching, serving as a vital role model for visible minority girls. A dedicated advocate, she advanced systemic change through the Federation of Women Teachers’ Association of Ontario (FWTAO), championing equity for women and racialized educators. In retirement, she continued tutoring French Immersion students and newcomers, and remains a pillar of her church community, supporting Wesley and local families through more than six decades of generous volunteer work.
Ruth Chen | 2013 Faculty of Health Sciences (PhD Health Research Methods | Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Health Sciences
Chen has a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master’s of Science in Nursing from Yale University, and a PhD in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. She is currently the Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. She is also an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Chen was the recipient of the 2025 Health Professions Educator Award at McMaster University. She was selected for this award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to health professions education over more than two decades. Chen has demonstrated leadership in curriculum innovation, online education, and mentorship.
Stacey Ritz | 1997, 2004, Faculty of Science (Biology), Faculty of Health Sciences (PhD Medical Sciences) | Associate Professor, Pathology & Molecular Medicine
Ritz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine at McMaster University and is an internationally recognized education leader and scientist in sex, gender, and health. A member of the Hamilton community for more than 20 years, Ritz completed her BSc and PhD studies at McMaster and a post-doctoral research fellowship at UCLA. She became a founding faculty member of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and then returned to McMaster in 2015 to serve as Assistant Dean of the Honours Health Sciences Program until 2025. Her outstanding scholarship and teaching have advanced equitable, transformative approaches to integrating sex/gender in health research.
Health & Wellness
Alison Shea | 2003 Faculty of Health Sciences (MSc Medical Sciences) | Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Shea is an Associated Professor at McMaster University, cross-appointed to Obstetrics & Gynecology and Psychiatry. She earned her MD from the University of Ottawa, completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Toronto, and holds a PhD in Medical Sciences focused on women’s mental health. A certified menopause practitioner through the Menopause Society, Shea is the Chair of their examination committee. She is a board member and treasurer for the Canadian Menopause Society. At St. Joseph’s Healthcare, she specializes in menopause and reproductive mental health, integrating gynecology and psychiatry to improve quality of life for midlife women. Through clinical care, research, and advocacy, Shea is breaking stigma and advancing knowledge about menopause and mental health.
Emilie Belley-Côté | 2019 Faculty of Health Sciences (PhD Health Research Methods) | Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Belley-Côté is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University; she practises critical care cardiology in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and coronary care unit at the Hamilton General Hospital. Her research interests include perioperative cardiac surgery care, knowledge synthesis, and guideline development. At this stage in her career, she has more than 120 publications, including articles in NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, as well as first-tier critical care journals. She obtained her MD from Université de Sherbrooke in 2006. After internal medicine and cardiology training, as well as an MSc in Clinical Sciences, she completed a critical care fellowship at McMaster University. In 2019, she completed a PhD in Health Research Methodology, also at McMaster University.
Gita Wahi | 2000 Faculty of Science (Science) | Associate Professor and Clinician-Scientist, Department of Pediatrics
Wahi is a Hamiltonian from birth and became a qualified academic physician after achieving an MD, MSc and PhD (Clinical Epidemiology). She is an Associate Professor and Clinician-Scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University and a pediatrician at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Wahi’s research is dedicated to investigating the prevalence, causes, and treatment of childhood obesity, addressing health disparities by focusing on underrepresented populations. She has pioneered a community-engaged research model that prioritizes authentic partnerships with the populations her work serves. This groundbreaking research serves to ensure that interventions for childhood obesity and health promotion are culturally relevant, evidence-based, and co-created with communities, leading to actionable and sustainable strategies that result in improved health outcomes for children across Canada.
Helen Downey* | 1978 School of Phys. Ed
Downey attended McMaster University (1974-78) where she studied physical and health education, competing on the Marauders Varsity field hockey team. She also studied at the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto. Downey was employed with the HWCDSB as a physical education teacher where she coached and mentored hundreds of young ladies in various sports, including basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, cross-country, and track and field. She was later promoted to department head and athletic director before retiring from Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School after 35 years. Downey has served on the board of SportHamilton (the official sports council for the City of Hamilton) since 2001. She was elected President in 2010 and has been promoting and developing quality sport experiences for all Hamiltonians along with her great team of volunteer board members.
Jenna Smith-Turchyn | 2007 Faculty of Social Sciences | Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science
Smith-Turchyn’s contributions to research, mentorship, and community service have positioned her as a leader in health and wellness for vulnerable populations. She is a registered physiotherapist and Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University. She leads the McMaster Oncology Rehab Lab+ (MORL+). Her research focuses on cancer survivorship, exercise oncology, and health equity, and ensures survivors are active partners in shaping interventions and policy recommendations. She trains the next generation of scientists to conduct meaningful and innovative research to inform the delivery of rehabilitation services across Canada. Beyond academia, Smith-Turchyn is a champion for sport to improve health, engaging for over 20 years as a Skate Canada-certified figure skating coach with Special Olympics Ontario.
Marisa Mariella* | 1984 Faculty of Science (Psychology)
Mariella has transformed the lives of countless women and girls in our community through capacity building work in social connection, mental health awareness, suicide prevention advocacy, wellness promotion, and volunteerism. She has guided multiple city-wide suicide prevention initiatives building capacity in hope, help and healing. With 30+ years of experience in education, she has created innovative student-led mental health initiatives (iMATTER, Run 4 Their Lives) that have reached thousands of students within and outside our city. Her deep desire to ensure everyone in the community feels supported is demonstrated in her work with the immigrant program Arms Wide Open and her hands-on approach to sharing wellness strategies. Mariella embodies the spirit of a Community Champion and is a transformative leader.
Samantha Winemaker* | 2001 Faculty of Health Sciences (MD) | Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Division of Palliative Care
Winemaker is a community-based palliative care physician who cares for patients with serious illness and their families in the home. She’s an associate clinical professor at McMaster University in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Palliative Care. She has won numerous awards for her leadership and palliative care education for healthcare professionals. With a commitment to empowering patients and their families to have the best possible healthcare experience, in the past four years, she has started educating the public directly. She is a co-host of the podcast, The Waiting Room Revolution, and co-author of the best-selling book Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest: 7 Keys for Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis and the workbook Applying the 7 Keys.
Sheryl Green | 1994 Faculty of Social Sciences (Sociology) | Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences
For 20 years, Green has worked as a clinical and health psychologist within the Women’s Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, ON and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Her career has been dedicated to helping women and individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) with mental health difficulties across the reproductive timeline (perinatal, menopause, pre-menstrual) to: 1) obtain knowledge; 2) facilitate access to care; and 3) create non-pharmacological interventions as alternative or complimentary forms of treatment. She has published multiple self-help books on her evidence-based treatments to reach as many practitioners and women as possible and has significantly contributed to training the next generation of women’s health practitioners and researchers.
Innovation in Business
Katherine Gardhouse | Part-time Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences
Gardhouse is a clinical psychologist, entrepreneur, and community systems builder who is redefining the future of mental health. As the founder and CEO of eFIT mental health gym and Innermap.ai, she has created a new model for healing that unites therapy, movement, nutrition, and supportive empathic technology for personal transformation and lasting mental health. eFIT bridges human health, psychology, and AI to create systems that increase mental health access and sustain healing over time. Through Innermap.ai, she is pioneering empathic AI that helps users visualize and process emotion, translating decades of clinical expertise into digital tools for emotional intelligence. Gardhouse’s mission is to make emotional fitness as fundamental and accessible as physical fitness.
Shannon Graszat | Manager, Venture Growth at Innovation Factory
Graszat is a dedicated startup advocate and serves as the Manager of Venture Growth at Innovation Factory (IF). With nearly a decade of experience at IF, Shannon specializes in helping entrepreneurs turn concepts into scalable businesses. Graszat oversees the IF Venture Growth team and fosters strategic relationships with investors, ecosystem partners, and founders. A passionate community builder, Graszat has also served on the board of Hamilton HIVE and continues to champion diversity in entrepreneurship. Under her leadership IF has grown to serve and train over 900 clients annually. Graszat is also fiercely competitive and driven, competing in powerlifting and endurance running among other activities. When allowing herself time to relax, you can find her camping with her rescue dog Dean.
Public Service
Debbie Logel Butler* | 1984 Faculty of Social Sciences (Sociology)
Logel Butler has spent more than 40 years strengthening Hamilton’s health and social-service sector. She began her career in child life before moving into fundraising, where she advanced some of the city’s most respected non-profits by breaking barriers, expanding access, and securing vital resources. Her work has consistently improved services for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Across every role, and through her extensive volunteer leadership, Debbie has championed dignity, equity, and ease of access for those facing serious life challenges. A compassionate, ethical, and visionary leader, she empowers others to lead with courage and purpose. Logel Butler’s influence is woven through many of Hamilton’s most impactful organizations, making her a true force for public good.
Fire Chief Karen Roche* | 2018 Strategic Planning at McMaster University
Roche has dedicated over 30 years to public service, combining compassion, innovation, and leadership in everything she does. Beginning her career as a volunteer firefighter in 1995 while working as a critical care nurse at Toronto General Hospital, Roche’s unique blend of clinical and emergency expertise has guided a lifetime of service to others. She rose through the ranks to become Burlington’s first female Fire Chief in 2020, a milestone achievement that continues to inspire women in emergency services across Ontario. Throughout her career, Roche has advanced safety, modernized operations, and mentored countless firefighters and leaders.
Cindy Gangaram | 2001 Faculty of Social Sciences (Political Science)
Gangaram is a champion for public education, equity, and workers’ rights, whose leadership transforms the lives of education workers and the families they serve. As President of the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers’ Local (HWETL), she is widely respected for her principled, community-driven approach that connects frontline realities with broader social impact. Gangaram became a recognized public advocate during the Sex Ed curriculum court case, defending the rights and safety of gender-diverse, 2SLGBTQIA+, and marginalized students, and played a key role in the pushback against Bill 33, protecting democratic processes and workers’ voices. She tirelessly strengthens partnerships, advances equity, and empowers the next generation of leaders, reshaping how union leadership uplifts public service and community well-being.
Dulani Maneesha Wijesundara | 2024 Faculty of Humanities (Cultural Studies and Critical Theory)
Wijesundara is originally from Sri Lanka, and has dedicated her life to education and community service. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Peradeniya, one of Sri Lanka’s top universities, before moving to Canada in 2023 with a partial scholarship to study at McMaster University. While balancing work as a teaching assistant and at Burger King to support her studies, she pursued her passion for advocacy by joining ACORN Canada, a community union of low and moderate income people working towards social and economic justice through building community power for change. In just one year, she was recognized as a field organizer in Hamilton organizing two chapters.
Robin Abbott | 2025 Police Leadership at DeGroote School of Business
Abbott is a 27-year member of the Hamilton Police Service and the highest-ranking woman in the organization. She leads Hamilton’s busiest patrol division, overseeing more than 200 sworn and civilian members, and guiding complex public safety operations with integrity, accountability, and compassion. A forward-thinking leader, Abbott served as the project lead for the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, guiding the service through a modernized, community-informed planning process. She has also advanced evidence-based deployment models and introduced Project ABLE to strengthen ethical policing culture. A dedicated mentor and advocate for women and gender-diverse members, Abbott contributes to both the 2S&LGBTQIA+ and Women’s Internal Support Networks and has helped raise nearly $200,000 to support housing and programs for women in Hamilton.
STEM & Trades
Clare Armstrong | 2009 Faculty of Science (Physics)
Armstrong is a physicist and innovator dedicated to advancing education and technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Biophysics from McMaster University, where she conducted pioneering research on membrane dynamics. Currently Head of Research and Development at MesoMat Inc., Armstrong leads cutting-edge projects integrating nanomaterials into smart systems. Her commitment to education spans over a decade of teaching and mentoring – from designing inquiry-based physics labs to inspiring young learners through science demonstrations and outreach. Armstrong has served on mentorship and recruitment committees, spoken on numerous career panels, and actively promotes women in STEM. With 15 publications, multiple patents, and a passion for knowledge-sharing, she exemplifies leadership in education and training, empowering future innovators.
Sahar Kokaly | 2006, 2008 Faculty of Engineering (BEng & MSCAP Computing and Software)
Kokaly holds a Ph.D. and P.Eng., and is a Software Safety Engineering leader at General Motors Canada, recognized for driving innovation in the automotive industry. With over 15 years of experience in software engineering and a decade in the automotive domain, Kokaly spearheads cutting-edge safety solutions for advanced driver-assistance and automated driving systems. Her innovative approach bridges industry and academia through strategic partnerships and research in model-based engineering and safety assurance. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor at McMaster University, Kokaly has influenced curriculum development, supervised graduate research, and fostered collaborations that advance automotive safety technologies. A passionate advocate for diversity, she mentors future STEM leaders and champions inclusive innovation, shaping the future of safe and efficient mobility.
Young Trailblazer
Angela Tollis | 2025 Faculty of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering)
Tollis graduated from McMaster University’s Mechanical Engineering & Society (Co-op) program, minoring in Sustainability. She is a Hardware Quality Engineering Specialist at Kepler Communications and a passionate advocate for women in STEM. Tollis’ leadership shines through her involvement with McMaster’s Satellite Team, Mars Rover Team, and as the founder of the McMaster Engineering Reduced Gravity Capstone Experiment. She has mentored through Women in Engineering and coordinated NASA hackathon challenges. Her internships span leading organizations like MDA Space and Linamar. Beyond campus, Tollis empowers youth through FIRST Robotics, volunteering at over 15 events and organizing initiatives like the Girls and Allies STEMathon, impacting hundreds of students. A true trailblazer, Tollis combines technical excellence with a commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
Jeryn Anthonypillai | 2024 Faculty of Engineering (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Growing up as a woman of colour who loved engineering, Anthonypillai often felt like an outsider in spaces where she never saw herself represented. Instead of letting that discourage her, she transformed that feeling into leadership. She co-created MacHacks from the ground up, a global hackathon rooted in AI and quantum computing. As a Women in Engineering Ambassador, she inspired 200+ young women. She amplified diverse STEM voices to 5,000+ listeners through SciSection. Her dedication earned her the McMaster University Albert Lager Prize for Student Leadership and the Image of an Engineer Award, celebrating her role in reshaping the engineering community. Today, as a technology consultant, she continues proving to others, especially those who feel unseen, that they belong in technology.
Margaret Qin | Student, Faculty of Science
Qin is an undergraduate student at McMaster University in the Human-Behaviour program. She is also a local powerhouse. Fuelled by her love of community and willingness to learn, Qin has created and facilitated spaces where art, community, and wellness can co-habitate; Grind-Markets on campus, the Women-Healing-in-Colour group, and the King-William-West-Fest. In addition to these initiatives, she is a passionate artist and lover of music. Margaret runs a small business featuring earrings and other handmade crafts, to which she credits her growing confidence and mindfulness outlet to. She is also the manager of Dj’s Flying Circus, a local band. Through connecting and adapting, Qin has always been able to find her place, even if it means creating it herself.
Midhaa Ahmed | Student, Faculty of Social Sciences
Ahmed is a passionate and visionary student leader dedicated to community-building, equity, and empowerment. As Assistant Clubs Administrator with the McMaster Students Union, she supports over 270 student clubs, manages external communications, organizes key events, and chairs the Clubs Advisory Council. As Co-Founder and Co-President of the Global Peace and Social Justice Society, she created a vibrant, student-driven space for equity, decolonization, and professional development. Her leadership roles with the Department of Global Peace and Social Justice, McMaster Mock Trial, and Welcome Week reflect her deep commitment across disciplines. Recognized with the prestigious TD Scholarships for Community Leadership, Ahmed channels her momentum to uplift others. Through every role, she champions belonging, reimagines student life, and models leading with purpose.
Mohlil Imran | Student, Faculty of Social Sciences
Imran is a leader, researcher, and advocate dedicated to strengthening opportunities for youth across Hamilton. Raised as an immigrant in the inner city, she turned early barriers into motivation to uplift others. She is a published researcher with SickKids and the University of Toronto, contributing to sexual health research presented internationally. At McMaster University, she serves as Co-President of Policython and Vice-President Communications of the Political Science Student Association, and previously held leadership roles in Medical Radiation Sciences. She co-authored a published report on transit safety, tenant rights, and food insecurity. Through CityLAB Hamilton and her role as a Youth Facilitator with the City of Hamilton, she advances youth employment, equity, and community inclusion while mentoring newcomer and underrepresented youth.
Sarah Kalmanovitch | 2025 Faculty of Science (Life Science)
Kalmanovitch is a passionate advocate for educational equity and community engagement. A recent Honours Life Sciences graduate from McMaster University, she founded the Canadian Teaching Assistant Volunteer Program, connecting university students with classrooms for mentorship and academic support. Within a year, the program grew from 13 volunteers to over 200, supporting 5,500 youth and expanding to seven cities, with plans to grow through 2026. Her leadership emphasizes diversity and inclusion, informed by her thesis on authorship diversity, which she presented internationally. Kalmanovitch has also volunteered in schools, women’s shelters, healthcare, and environmental research, demonstrating her commitment to equity and empowerment. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership to continue driving systemic change and inspire future leaders.
Varana Insanalli | Student, DeGroote School of Business
Insanalli is a third year student at McMaster University, currently pursuing her Honours Bachelor of Commerce with Internship. She serves as Co-President of Her Campus McMaster and Director of Advocacy for DeGroote Women in Business. With extensive experience in community-focused initiatives across McMaster and the Hamilton region, Insanalli is dedicated to meaningful service and impact. As the first woman in her family to attend post-secondary education, she is passionate about creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, and included. Guided by the belief that every person holds potential and that every action – no matter how small – can spark change, Insanalli strives to strengthen community, empower women, and champion equity. is a passionate advocate for educational equity and community engagement.