Three Brock University graduate students are being celebrated for their academic achievements, impactful mentorship and efforts to expand opportunities for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

PhD in Educational Studies student Chinyere Saka, Computer Science master’s student Sangmitra Madhusudan (BSc ’25)  and Chemistry master’s student Areeba Iqbal have received the 2026 Women in STEM Graduate Leadership Award.

For Saka, the award represents “visibility and affirmation.”

“It recognizes not just my presence in STEM, but the way I lead: through mentorship, community engagement and equity-driven practice,” she says.

Her research focuses on equity and belonging in education with the goal of helping Black students, particularly girls, see themselves as capable contributors to STEM. As a mentor, she strives to translate that research into professional learning frameworks that foster more inclusive classrooms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saka saw that lockdowns amplified inequities, with some children in her community unable to access the devices needed for online learning. In response, she volunteered to deliver virtual coding and mathematics classes to those with limited enrichment opportunities.

Her experiences as a Black immigrant woman in academic leadership, often one few at the table, have shaped her sense of purpose and approach to her work.

“It’s about navigating systems that were not originally designed with everyone in mind,” she says.

Madhusudan aims to do just that in the future. She plans to pursue a career in computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) research, guiding future students through challenges she once encountered as an undergraduate student.

“In classes where women were outnumbered, I would be a little intimidated to speak up,” Madhusudan says. “It wasn’t that anyone expressed anything externally — it was more internal. You look around and you don’t see many similar voices,” she says.

PhD in Educational Studies student Chinyere Saka recently received the Women in STEM Graduate Leadership Award.

Encouragement from her professor sparked her interest in AI and large language models (LLMs).

“I need a personal connection to my research,” she says. “Looking at bias and how it shows up in large language models — that felt meaningful.”

Her research examines cultural alignment and bias in LLMs.  Her recent work, for example, explored how language models trained predominantly on older texts may reflect outdated social norms.

Taking the next step in her journey as a researcher was daunting, but the support of faculty and research partners gave her the confidence to publish her first academic paper.

“If people feel like they’re having those internal battles, awards like this show that their work matters,” she says of receiving the Women in STEM Graduate Leadership Award.

Before her time at Brock, Iqbal was one of few women in her undergraduate Physics program. Determined to advance, she connected with researchers outside her institution and completed an internship that solidified her interest in semiconductor physics.

“It took me three years before I realized this is something I want to pursue. I didn’t have guidance around me at that time,” she says.

Coming from a region of the world where many girls do not pursue education beyond high school, she organized seminars to encourage families to support their daughters’ academic goals.

“If you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing, you can definitely create opportunities going forward. Pursue what interests you, not just what’s trending,” she says.

Iqbal plans to pursue a doctorate and combine research with science communication.

“The work we’re doing in the lab, we should be able to narrate it to people so they know how it’s going to affect their lives,” she says.