Top scholars graduating from UCalgary

Bachelor of Science – Eng.

Manpreet Deol is graduating from UCalgary with many accomplishments.

Deol received the Engineering Student of the Year medal from the Engineering Institute of Canada, completed a course at MIT in collaboration with NEXT Canada in artificial intelligence and business strategy, and won the International Engineering Commerce Case Competition. She further enriched her experience by studying abroad in Stuttgart, Germany, and doing a research internship in Shanghai, China.

Deol’s undergraduate capstone project was recognized as one of the year’s top three mechanical engineering projects. Deol and two classmates came up with the idea for an eating utensil to help with tremor stabilization for individuals living with neurological movement disorders. 

Deol is graduating with a degree in biomedical and mechanical engineering and is headed to the University of Oxford this fall as a Rhodes Scholar.

Bachelor of Health Sciences (Hon.)

Volunteerism and advocacy have been key parts of Nicole Mfoafo-M’Carthy’s time at Ucalgary.

M’Carthy volunteered with the Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) as a representative on the student-faculty liaison committee for her program, and with Immigrant Services Calgary as a tutor, as well as a program facilitator, and as a childcare volunteer with Inn from the Cold during an on-campus student-run clinic to name a few.

M’Carthy has been able to create opportunities and supports for others with a strong focus on inclusivity and creating safe spaces. She founded Gurl Talk in 2015, a mentorship program for Black girls ages 10 to 15 from immigrant families, which in turn gave her the opportunity to speak at We Day in 2018. She developed a non-profit called Career Match that works to ensure that youth, irrelevant of their background, have the resources and network to achieve their dream career, and which also hosts an annual career fair to match students with mentors in fields they are interested in. As part of Black History Month, M’Carthy hosted two Black hair events at the WRC in collaboration with a screenwriter who directed and produced a documentary highlighting the difficulties Black people have in managing afro-textured hair. This event not only allowed students to discuss the topic but also gave individuals outside the Black community the opportunity to learn about allyship. M’Carthy was also part of Scholars Academy and mentored three students during her last year of studies.

Inclusivity has also been part of M’Carthy’s research. During her first year, she conducted a discourse analysis on the use of resilience in regard to individuals with disabilities in the media. As undergraduate research assistant at the Department for Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies at the Cumming School of Medicine, she examined workplace mental health in masculinized versus feminized workplace with the goal of contributing understandings that can be used to shape gender responsive workplace policies and practices. M’Carthy was also one of four Ucalgary students shortlisted to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship.

M’Carthy, who is also the valedictorian, is graduating with an honours degree in health sciences, with a major in health and society and a concentration in anthropology. She is pursuing a medical degree at the University of Toronto in the fall.

Bachelor of Health Sciences (Hon.)

Hannah Rahim joined UCalgary as a Schulich Leader and has shown herself to be a dedicated leader and member of our community.

Over the course of her time at UCalgary, Rahim has conducted research on neuroimaging and immunology and led two public health studies. This experience inspired her to create equitable opportunities for other youth to engage in research. She has done so through her role as managing director of STEM Fellowship (SF), a Canadian registered charity of over 300 volunteers that creates STEM mentorship and experiential learning programs. She has dedicated countless hours to SF initiatives including creating a research internship program at UCalgary for students from communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM, and collaborating with the Hunter Hub to hold an online biomedical data analytics challenge for hundreds of Canadian undergraduate students.

Rahim has also been involved on campus in a variety of roles including co-director of academics and training for the Sustainable Development Goals Alliance, tutor with Students for Literacy, and a member of Scholars Academy.

Rahim is graduating with an honours degree in Health Sciences and is the recipient of the Cumming School of Medicine Gold Medal and the President's Award. She is currently completing an internship with the United Nations ahead of her employment with Boston Consulting Group in the fall.

Bachelor of Health Sciences (Hon.)

Catharine Bowman’s time at UCalgary has combined advocacy, research, student engagement and mentorship, and involvement in the campus community.

She is passionate about finding a pharmacological treatment for lymphedema. However, her interest isn’t limited to the biomedical side of the disease, as she also researches its psychosocial manifestations. Bowman has also advocated for patients and their families by developing and implementing a province-wide lymphedema education series. In 2018, Bowman was instrumental as a member of the Alberta Lymphedema Association Board in facilitating a $29,000 investment towards the purchase of a lymphatic imaging tool to improve lymphedema clinical care and research at University of Calgary/Foothills Hospital.

Bowman has coached high school students who qualified for both National and International Science and Engineering Fairs. She has also volunteered as a judge and organizer for the Calgary Youth Science Fair and the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair. Additionally, Bowman served as the Vice-President of External Relations with STEM Fellowship UCalgary. Part of her role involved developing and delivering scholarly workshops for students and implementing a high school research internship program for Calgary students. For all she has accomplished, Bowman was one of four students institutionally shortlisted to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship.

Bowman is graduating with an honours degree in health sciences and will continue her UCalgary journey starting in July at the Cumming School of Medicine to pursue an medical degree.