McMaster Engineering congratulates trailblazing student Lianna Genovese, innovative professor Zobia Jawed, and alumna Navita Dyal on their YWCA Women of Distinction awards.
Lianna Genovese: Young Trailblazer
Lianna Genovese is a fifth-year biomedical and mechanical engineering student, as well as the CEO and Founder of ImaginAble Solutions.
She invented an assistive device called Guided Hands, which empowers people with limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw and use touch-screen devices. It earned her the prestigious Canadian James Dyson Award for innovative design.
Genovese is also a mentor and an industry partner for McMaster co-op programs, and one of the most successful students in the iBioMed (Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences) program.
“I am ecstatic and humbled to win this award and be recognized as a Young Trailblazer amongst such inspiring and talented women in our community! Together, we are inspiring other women and girls to understand that all you need is passion, hard work and perseverance to make a meaningful impact in our community! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Hamilton YWCA, McMaster University, my mentor and friend Marita Zaffiro for nominating me and my friends and family for their unconditional love and support.”
Zobia Jawed: Research, Science, Technology, and Trades
Zobia Jawed is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and expert in water and wastewater systems, climate change, environmental sustainability, and decision-support tools. The award is a testament to her deep commitment to research and innovation.
She has a strong passion for helping youth and for women’s empowerment in science, technology, engineering and math.
“When women support women, we can take research to the next level. Thank you to the Faculty of Engineering for always believing in young women and thank you to Heather Sheardown, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, who is here tonight supporting all of the women in engineering nominated. I’m excited to continue to push the barriers in research in water and wastewater systems, which is typically a very male-dominated field and I am very excited to see that young women are bringing their expertise and advancements to research and innovation”.
Jawed was also recently recognized with the Order of Hamilton at the start of the new year. The Order of Hamilton honours remarkable individuals who have made exceptional volunteer contributions to better the city.
Read more about the Order of Hamilton and how Jawed dedicates her time to promoting equity and diversity with the Healthy Youth Network and Pakistani Business Association in this Hamilton Spectator article.
Navita Dyal: Research, Science, Technology and Trades (Halton)
Navita Dyal is a graduate of the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, where she achieved a Master of Engineering Design. Dyal is the founder of Walking Analyzing Device and a product manager at Google’s wearable health devices division.
At 17, Dyal founded a non-profit organization, GLITR, which provides access to healthcare to vulnerable populations both locally and abroad. As an undergraduate at McMaster, she founded her first startup, Era Diabetes, to help kids self-manage their type 1 diabetes.
Other Mac Eng nominees
The faculty is proud to see five people linked to McMaster Engineering nominated for this year’s awards.
Sarah Gonder, an undergraduate researcher in materials engineering, was also nominated for Young Trailblazer. Alumna Susan Kilburn, BEngM ’92, was also nominated in the Research, Science, Technology and Trades category.
Read more about all the McMaster University recipients here and learn more about all the McMaster University nominees here.
