McMaster Engineering’s Spring 2026 Grads to Watch 

Convocation is a time for reflection and celebration. To mark the occasion, we asked 15 graduating students to share their stories, reflect on how they built themselves at McMaster Engineering over the course of their degrees and get a glimpse at what’s on the horizon for them. Read more about these graduates, in their own words, below. 

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Mac Eng shoutout: There are quite a few people, but a huge shoutout goes to Dr. Denise Geiskkovitch for her amazing support during my final year. I also have to acknowledge the upper-year engineers who became friends and mentors to me. The advice and reassurance they gave me early on in my degree made a world of difference in finding my footing at Mac. Lastly, a shoutout to all of my friends at Mac. I owe a lot of my success to you guys. From the study groups to hanging out off campus, your support got me through the hardest parts, and you all pushed me to be better. 

What’s next? This fall, I am heading to the University of Waterloo to start my Master of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering. I will be researching with the Motion Research Group, focusing on biomechanics and model-based control for sports engineering.

Something you learned: One of the biggest things I learned at McMaster University is to take chances and step into leadership, even when it feels unexpected. In third year, I randomly decided to run for a McMaster Engineering Society (MES) VP position, and ended up being elected. That moment really changed everything for me. It opened the door to getting involved in MES, ESSCO, CALE, and the broader engineering community across Ontario and Canada, and showed me the value of putting yourself out there and staying connected. 
 
What’s next? Next for me is figuring it out—deciding between going into industry or pursuing med school, depending on where things land. 

Your spot: There is a tutorial room tucked in JHE opposite the engineering physics PhD office- JHE 326H. When campus is packed, I could always count on that room being empty. Now that I’m graduating, I’m more than happy to spill the beans about this spot 🙂 
 
What’s next? I am doing my Masters and PhD at the Max Planck School of Photonics. I will be studying at FSU in Jena, Germany. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: The 10th Annual NSBE McMaster “The Hunt” Conference! After representing our chapter at the 2024 international NSBE conference and connecting with engineering students from across the world and notably Canada, I felt empowered about strengthening the connection between our Canadian chapters. While on co-op, I took on the role of Sponsorships Chair and worked alongside the Conference Coordinators to build corporate relationships, garner sponsorships and reach out to Canadian chapters. This event successfully hosted attendees from 9 different universities from 3 provinces, 50 company representatives from 15 different companies and NSBE alumni ranging from new grads to 20+ years of industry experience. This event was a culmination of 6-months of hard work (countless meetings, emails and Sponsorship Package revisions) and a true display of the growth of the NSBE McMaster and NSBE East Canada Community overall. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? The materials engineering field is an exciting source of innovation in this era of rapid advancement. I hope to use my degree to help tackle the climate crisis and contribute to the development of a truly sustainable world. In order to truly address this issue, communities, governments, businesses, households and researchers will all need to collaborate on the integration of innovative and novel solutions. I hope to use my knowledge in material design, processing, production and lifecycle assessment to advocate for the implementation of sustainable processes, applications and products throughout my career. Overall, I am passionate about being a continuous learner and I hope to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and educate to help advocate for sustainable solutions. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: My proudest Mac Eng moment was when the McMaster Chem-E-Car team won 1st place at our competition at Michigan State University in April 2025. After immense hard work from everyone on the team, we were thrilled to win the competition representing McMaster and Canada as the only Canadian team competing against many American universities. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? My goal is to work on innovations to help with the climate crisis. I hope to continue combining my love for engineering and science with my passion for the environment to make a meaningful impact in the field of sustainable technology.

Mac Eng shout out: I would like to thank Dr. Zhen Gao, Dr. Marjan Alavi, and Dr. Moein Mehrtash for their continuous support and mentorship throughout my academic journey.

I am also grateful to the professors and instructors in the W Booth School of Engineering Practice & Technology, and to the staff in the McMaster English Language Development (MODEL) program, whose support played an important role in my growth at McMaster.

Special thanks to Frank Varao and Dr. Tamara Fuciarelli for their guidance, support, and the opportunities they provided throughout my co-op and professional journey.

I am also very thankful to my peers and friends, who made this journey truly meaningful.

Proudest Mac Eng moment: My proudest moment was receiving the McMaster University Co-op Student of the Year, Engineering Co-op Student of the Year, and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community. 
 
I didn’t expect to receive three awards in one year, and it helped me reflect on how much I have grown during my time at McMaster. The recognition meant a lot because it reflected both my work during co-op and the time I put into supporting students and volunteering on campus. It was a reminder that small efforts can add up to something meaningful.

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I hope to contribute by using what I’ve learned in process improvement, data analysis, and AI to help teams work more efficiently and solve practical problems. I also want to continue mentoring younger students and creating supportive spaces in engineering. The guidance I received made a big difference for me, and I hope to offer that same support to others as they begin their own journeys.

What’s next: This summer, I’ll be leading the team to compete in the 2026 Seismic Design Competition held in Portland, Oregon. Shortly after I’ll be starting as a New Grad Structural at Hatch in Mississauga. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: Leading the Seismic Design Team to a successful showing at the 2025 EERI Seismic Design Competition in Berkeley, CA. We received both the Best Seismic Performance Award as well as the Charles Richter Spirit of the Competition Award, showing the positive impact we made on other competing teams. We achieved the team’s best ever overall finish of 7th out of 46 international universities. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? At Hatch, I hope to be a part of world-renowned energy projects that focus on improving access to clean energy in remote communities. Eventually, I hope to take on a significant role managing teams and groups within the company. Beyond Hatch, I hope to continue attending employer events on the other side of the booth, support engineering and management capstone teams, and mentor senior students in leadership roles within Mac Eng clubs and teams.   

Mac Eng shoutout: Thank you, Dr. Shriani and Dr. Berker Bilgin, for your valuable assistance and support during my last year of my undergraduate studies. I also thank the whole ECE Department for building a strong academic foundation and guidance within me throughout my 5 years. A special thank you to my capstone team Adam Poonah, Shafwan Fahim, Sabeer Abbasi and Matthew Ferreira! My friends and peers for the collaboration, late nights, and memories that made Mac Eng such a meaningful experience 🙂 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: It is difficult to choose just one moment, but receiving my Iron Ring this year and celebrating that milestone alongside my friends and peers was incredibly meaningful. I was also honoured to receive the 2024 Future Leader Award and the 2026 Albert Lager Student Initiative Award, which recognized the leadership and involvement that shaped my university experience. Another highlight was completing a top-tier capstone project with an amazing team, earning multiple sponsorships and industry recognition. Together, these experiences represent the growth, opportunities, and relationships that defined my time in Mac Eng. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I hope to apply my skills beyond a single industry. While I am beginning my career in automotive electrical engineering, I don’t want to limit my impact to one field. Engineering has the power to solve challenges across transportation, energy, healthcare, communications, and emerging technologies, and I hope to contribute wherever my knowledge and experience can create meaningful value. Throughout my career, I want to remain curious, adaptable, and open to new opportunities that allow me to develop innovative solutions, improve people’s lives, and make a positive impact on society. 

Mac Eng shoutout: My experience at McMaster has been so positive because of the support that I have received throughout my journey. I would like to thank Dr. James Cotton for backing me throughout my research journey from first year to international research to grad school. The mechanical undergraduate lab technicians John Colenbrander, Mark MacKenzie, Michael Lee, Steve Smith, and Rob Sluban have made my student experience unforgettable. I am so thankful for their good advice and even better senses of humour. I would also like to shout out Dr. Keena Trowell for sharing and supporting my passion for energy storage and equity in engineering education.

Proudest Mac Eng moment: My proudest Mac Eng moment has been connecting my callings in engineering, climate justice, and Indigenous rights as my final inquiry project: Indigenizing engineering education at McMaster. I am continuing this work as a research assistant to bring meaningful, tangible change to the department that gave me so much so that tomorrow’s engineers will be more well-rounded, thoughtful, and respectful in working with this land and its First Peoples. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I hope to contribute to the fight for Indigenous climate justice. This means using my research opportunities to develop sustainable energy systems and my positionality and privilege to advocate for equity and belonging in educational and industrial spaces.

Mac Eng shoutout: I’d love to shout out Dr. Colin McDonald and Dr. Vincent Leung for giving me the opportunity to TA IBEHS 1P10 and IBEHS 2P03. Working with them shaped the way I think about teaching, mentorship, design, and what it means to support students through challenging, open-ended engineering problems. I’m also incredibly grateful to Dr. Matthew Giamou for his mentorship and for giving me the opportunity to contribute to meaningful research at the intersection of machine learning, robotics, and medical imaging. Lastly, a huge shoutout to all of my friends at Mac who supported, encouraged, challenged, and carried me through so many parts of this journey. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: One of my proudest Mac Eng moments was being a teaching assistant and getting to support younger iBioMed students as they worked through their own design projects. It was really special to watch them go from early ideas and uncertainty to building something they were proud of, and then seeing some of those teams present their work at the iBioMed Showcase. Being on the other side as a mentor made me appreciate how much growth happens in those moments, not just technically, but in confidence, teamwork, and belief in what they are capable of creating. It felt like a full-circle moment: going from being a student trying to figure everything out myself to helping other students find their footing and celebrate their hard work. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I hope to build technology that makes advanced software and AI feel more human, accessible, and impactful. Whether through healthcare, assistive devices, or intelligent systems that improve everyday experiences, I want my work to help solve real problems for people and create tools that meaningfully improve quality of life. I also hope to keep teaching, mentoring, and supporting newer generations of engineers, helping them see what they are capable of and inspiring them to use their skills to build with purpose.

What’s next: This fall I’m moving to Toronto to start grad studies at the University of Toronto, where I’ll be researching novel methods for simulating and designing Photonic Integrated Circuits in Dr. Joyce Poon’s lab. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: Publishing my first research paper as first author and watching it climb to a double-digit citation count in a year. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? Analog and photonic chips sit behind nearly every system we depend on, yet designing them is painfully slow. A handful of specialists spend years on what should take months, and that bottleneck keeps good ideas from ever reaching silicon. I want to help break it. By building tools that automate the hard, repetitive parts of circuit design, I hope to lower the barrier so smaller teams and newer engineers can build the hardware they imagine. The future I want to build is one where designing a chip is accessible to far more engineers. 

What’s next: I am currently working as a Biochemistry Research Assistant with the Scleroderma Society of Ontario. I also volunteer weekly with Hamilton Health Sciences through the Hospital Elder Life Program. This summer, I’m enjoying some time to recharge while preparing to begin my Master of Business Administration through DeGroote’s Accelerated MBA program this fall. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: My proudest Mac Eng moment was completing my final-year capstone project alongside my teammates and supervisor. We designed and developed a biosensor intended to detect bacteria associated with urinary tract infections, combining principles from engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology. It was a challenging yet transformative experience that allowed me to apply the knowledge and skills I had developed throughout my degree to a project with real-world implications and the potential to improve patient outcomes. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? Throughout my undergraduate studies in biotechnology, I gained insight into the revolutionary nature of biopharmaceutical products and the impact they can have on patients’ lives. I hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future by working within the biomanufacturing industry, helping lead teams that develop and deliver life-saving treatments such as cell and gene therapies, vaccines, and radiopharmaceuticals. I am drawn to this field because it brings together two areas I am most passionate about: innovation and helping others. One day, I would love to be part of a team that not only advances these therapies, but also improves their accessibility and affordability for the patients who need them most. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: Receiving my iron ring this past March was a proud milestone in my time at McMaster that marked the culmination of several years of hard work. More importantly, it symbolized my entry into the engineering profession and a lifelong commitment to integrity, accountability, and service to society. I was moved to take part in a century-old ceremony that underscored the responsibility I am assuming as a member of the profession and the trust that is placed in my work and that of my peers. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? Environmental stewardship is among the defining challenges and responsibilities of our generation. My commitment to this cause has been shaped by backcountry camping experiences in the vast and beautiful natural landscapes across Canada, which fostered a deep appreciation for the environment and the need to protect it. Our water resources are threatened by industrial contamination, wildfire-related pollution, and droughts driven by a changing climate, while communities across the country continue to face long-term boil water advisories. As I begin a career in water treatment engineering, I hope to contribute to a future where clean water is accessible to all and healthy ecosystems thrive for generations to come.

Proudest Mac Eng moment: Attending my final McMaster Game Development Club meeting. As one of the founding executive members in my first year and later serving as club president, stepping into that final meeting as an advisor was incredibly surreal. Seeing how packed the room was, feeling the energy of the members, and looking at the amazing projects they had built showed me the lasting impact of the foundation that the original executive members built. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I want to eliminate the friction between computers and people by creating more efficient, intuitive ways for us to interact with technology. At the same time, I hope to inspire others by demystifying tech and helping people discover the creative, genuinely fun side of engineering. 

Proudest Mac Eng moment: I’m most proud of the collection of experiences I was able to pursue throughout my degree. Balancing academics, teaching assistant roles, research, internships, technical extracurriculars, and various campus events gave me a well-rounded university experience and allowed me to make the most of my time at McMaster. 

How do you hope to contribute to engineering a brighter future? I hope to apply what I’ve learned to develop innovative technologies that improve lives and create lasting impact. Beyond my own work, I also want to contribute to a culture of learning by sharing knowledge through teaching, mentorship, and educational initiatives. By combining innovation with the exchange of knowledge, I hope to help shape a brighter future.