Maya Karanouh (PhD ’26) and Natalia Rodrigues-Rana (BA ’26) are harnessing the power of compassion and innovative thinking to change the world.

The Faculty of Humanities graduates each received a Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal in recognition of their contributions on Wednesday, June 10 during Brock’s 119th Convocation.

Karanouh, a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities (HUMA) graduate, is equipping small business owners with the tools they need to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly through her innovative research approach.

She designed and built the Small Business Generative AI Ethics Hub, an accessible enablement platform helping small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate complex AI technology.

Karanouh was driven to transform her research into a hands-on tool to help SMEs understand the ethical and jurisdictional landscape of AI while remaining competitive.

“While large companies have the resources to create and implement ethical guidelines, SMEs do not have the resources to develop their own,” she said.

Through step-by-step adoption toolkits and decision frameworks mapped to real business scenarios, SMEs around the globe now have practical steps to guide them.

Karanouh completed the “thesis by project” pathway in HUMA, a unique approach empowering students to optimize their research beyond the traditional written dissertation.

“Every day things are changing in the field of AI, and it was an invigorating challenge to keep up with emerging data in my thesis by project framework,” she said.

Karanouh received several awards including Brock’s Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award and a Match of Minds grant to support her research.

As an international student, she felt welcomed at the University before she even landed in Canada.

“I was connected to the Brock community through the onboarding resources available for all international students,” she said. “When I arrived, it was a very inclusive environment.”

Karanouh sought to give back by volunteering as a student representative on the graduate program committee and designing workshops for incoming graduate students.

“The support of faculty, most of all from my supervisor, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities Jason Hawreliak, will leave a lasting impact on my career,” she said.

Much like Karanouh, Rodrigues-Rana was driven to have an impact. She graduated with a degree in the History of Art and Visual Culture, a minor in Geography and a Micro-certificate in Community Planning.

Natalia Rodrigues-Rana’s artwork “Sisterhood” was part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Learning Commons Annual Exhibition. The graphite drawing is inspired by her grandmother and aunt imagined as Lucy and Ethel from 1950’s hit comedy show “I Love Lucy.”

A passionate voice for her fellow Badgers, Rodrigues-Rana served as Brock University Students’ Union’s Vice-President of Student Affairs, a role which also allowed her to represent students on the Brock University Senate. As a member of Senate, she advocated for bus route and safety improvements in addition to fee and program structure reviews.

Rodrigues-Rana also led the Brock Leaders Citizenship Society’s COVID Wellness Initiative supporting the Niagara Alzheimer’s community and was a member of the International Golden Key Honour Society.

A first-generation university student, Rodrigues-Rana is motivated by her family, including her grandparents who immigrated to Canada as teenagers.

“I am inspired by my family and my grandfather,” she said. “He is no longer here, but I’m living and learning for him and trying to improve people’s lives just like him.”

The changemaker was honoured with the 2025 Sylvia Osterbind Prize in Art History, 2025 Rosemary Drage Hale Scholarship in the Fine and Performing Arts and 2024 Bluma Appel Award for Excellence in the Humanities, among others.

Rodrigues-Rana participated in several art exhibitions including the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Annual Learning Commons Exhibition “Colouring Outside the Lines,” Wellness Hub Exhibition, and Women, Water and Words.

When she encountered personal challenges, including her mental health and the loss of family members, Rodrigues-Rana channelled her experiences into her undergraduate thesis work exploring how arts-based sustainable practices can improve communities.

“I did not find just an education at Brock; I found a purpose, a reason to live and keep living, a deep love for the environment and the arts and my community, and a passion for helping people and inspiring those around me,” she said.