From partnering on internationally recognized large language model research to crossing the stage together at Brock’s 117th Convocation, Tyler McDonald (BSc ’25) and Sangmitra Madhusudan (BSc ’25) have always embraced collegiality as a vector for success.

The two Computer Science graduates will now move on to graduate studies at Brock, both armed with funding to help them shape responsible artificial intelligence (AI) in Canada.

Both McDonald and Madhusudan — who graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees on Thursday, June 12 during Brock’s 117th Convocation — have received the prestigious Vector Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence.

The $17,500 merit-based award financially supports students entering AI-related master’s programs in Ontario and connects them with a community of renowned researchers, start-ups and industry leaders.

“We applied together and to have successfully brought two names forward from Brock feels like everything cumulated really well,” McDonald says. “To do a master’s without having to worry about the finances, and to have access to the well-rounded community of experts at Vector, is a nice way to get things kick-started.”

Madhusudan says receiving the award is an “honour” that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her lab group and Computer Science Associate Professor Yifeng Li, and Assistant Professors Renata Dividino and Ali Emami.

“We worked together as a team to make this happen, so it meant a lot to all of us,” she says.

Madhusudan’s thesis work in Brock’s Master of Computer Science program will explore the cognitive and translation abilities of large language models and the distribution of these technologies evenly across global societies.

“My research looks into representation gaps, how we can increase the cultural alignment of these language models, and what tools we can give to big companies to make their models more culturally aligned,” she says. “As researchers, we know the good and the bad of these technologies, and this work gives us a platform to make people aware of the different ethical considerations and make informed choices about their use.”

As an international student from India, Madhusudan arrived at Brock with a clear vision: pursue Computer Science in an environment that offered depth, opportunity and community.

“What sealed the deal for me was Brock’s close-knit campus feel and the inclusivity,” she said. “I felt at home right away and the support systems here helped me thrive.”

McDonald, on the other hand, took a slightly less linear path.

Originally enrolled in Brock’s Critical Criminology program, a turning point came when his friends suggested he may be a good fit for the Computer Science program.

Two years and multiple introductory courses later, McDonald had officially transferred.

He credits a directed reading course in machine learning and the mentorship of Emami for then sparking his passion for research and interest in AI.

For his Master of Computer Science thesis, McDonald will explore what he calls an “arm’s race” to create uniquely localized, culturalized language models around the world. And, how to address biases that may have been projected into these models during their development.

“We want to make AI available to everyone worldwide, but we also want informed and safe AI for those people,” he says. “What happens if we combine those models? Can we get multilingual abilities and maybe crush some of those biases to make more of a global model?”

The vast potential for exploration is what drew him to the field of AI.

“There’s so much about these language models that we don’t know and so many ways that we can use them, and the derivations and theories we take from what happens with language models can inform other systems,” he says. “How then, can we kibosh what might make them dangerous ahead of time, so that people can have access to what is essentially a faucet of guided knowledge — that’s what has me hooked.”

While they won’t be working on their theses together, McDonald says they welcome the opportunity to collaborate again.

“It’s about building those connections within the lab and getting to co-author with everybody, and we hope to work together in the future,” he says.

After all, that strong support system helped get them to where they are today.

“University is hard — it is not if you will struggle, it is when. But once you find your people, they will help you grow,” McDonald says.