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The employer-nominated awards are presented annually by Science Career & Cooperative Education Department to recognize students who excelled during their co-op work terms while also making significant contributions to their fellow students and McMaster.

Richa, a Life Sciences student who has served as a McMaster tour guide, peer mentor and ambassador on the Firsthand online platform, completed her co-op at Alaya Care. “Along with Richa’s initiative, attention to detail and organization, she brought a positive attitude and great energy to any project that she was working on, no matter how challenging,” wrote her supervisor Rojin Karimi. Richa was also chosen as McMaster’s nominee for Ontario’s Work-Integrated Learning Co-op Student of the Year Award.

Alyssa, a Biology & Pharmacology student who served as co-president of the McMaster Biology & Pharmacology Society and McMaster Food Allergy Club and was the mentorship coordinator for the McMaster Science Society, worked for Kingston Allergy Research. “Alyssa went above and beyond expectations,” wrote her supervisor Anne Ellis. “Alyssa tackled each task given to her with great care and attention to detail while always considering the privacy of our participants and their confidentiality.”

Miranda, a Biochemistry student who served as co-president and a peer mentor with the Biochemistry and Biomedical Society, worked in Professor Eric Brown’s lab at McMaster University. “Miranda immediately distinguished herself as a bright student with a genuine interest in the field and a contagious enthusiasm for science,” Eric wrote in his nomination letter. “Miranda is a positive role model for new trainees in the lab.”

Receiving honourable mentions were Manjot Grewal who worked as a laboratory assistant with Professor Jose Moran Mirabel, Alessandra Scalisi who worked with the Corporate Actuarial Life and Health Production Team at TD Insurance and Larissa Turco who was a junior policy analyst with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Reviewing employer nominations and selecting the co-op students of the year were faculty member Anas Abdullah, alumnae Laura Morrison and Alice O’Carroll, Director of Science Career Development and Cooperative Education.

Students are available for summer co-ops within the Faculty of Science. For more information, email Hiresci@mcmaster.ca.