Pierce’s engineering background has proven invaluable for the experience, which includes "moments where you feel like a kid again... experimenting with ideas and surrounded by creativity."
Launched in 2023, the Whelen Fellowship helps graduate students bridge the gap between academic research and real-world innovation by matching them with McMaster startups to gain hands-on entrepreneurial experience.
Biomedical engineering PhD student Manak Bajaj was named the 2025 winner of a $10,000 grand prize for his pitch focused on an innovative way of detecting and predicting Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).
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