June 12, 2025 – St. Catharines, Ontario
Two recent Brock University Computer Science graduates, Tyler McDonald and Sangmitra Madhusudan, have been awarded the prestigious Vector Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence — a major recognition that will support their upcoming graduate studies and AI research in Ontario.
The $17,500 merit-based scholarship, awarded by the Vector Institute, supports students entering AI-focused master’s programs and connects them to leading researchers, startups, and industry professionals shaping Canada’s AI landscape.
McDonald and Madhusudan, both graduates of Brock’s Bachelor of Science program, crossed the convocation stage together at the University’s 117th ceremony on Thursday. The scholarship caps off years of collaborative work between the two, including internationally recognized research in large language models.
“To do a master’s without having to worry about the finances, and to have access to a community of experts at Vector, is a great way to kick things off,” said McDonald, who initially began his studies in Critical Criminology before transitioning to Computer Science. He credits his passion for AI research to a directed reading course in machine learning and the mentorship of Assistant Professor Ali Emami.
McDonald’s master’s research will examine the global “arms race” to develop culturally localized language models, focusing on reducing biases and exploring the potential for multilingual, globally inclusive AI.
Madhusudan, originally from India, will focus her thesis on improving cultural representation and ethical considerations in language models. She aims to bridge gaps in cognitive and translational capacities of AI, particularly how global societies can benefit more equitably from these technologies.
Her path to Brock was driven by the university’s inclusive and close-knit campus atmosphere. “What sealed the deal for me was Brock’s community feel. I felt at home right away,” she said.
Madhusudan credits her achievement to strong mentorship from Brock’s faculty, including Professors Yifeng Li, Renata Dividino, and Ali Emami. “We worked together as a team to make this happen,” she said.
Although McDonald and Madhusudan will pursue separate thesis projects, they both expressed a desire to collaborate again in the future.
“There’s so much about these language models that we still don’t know,” said McDonald. “The potential is massive, but so is the responsibility to guide these tools ethically.”
The Vector Scholarship not only funds their next academic steps, but also solidifies Brock’s growing reputation in AI research and education.