May 6, 2025
U荔枝视频 researchers among Top 25 Women of Influence+ Canada Awards
Researchers from the are being honoured for their contributions to their field over the past year.
Drs. and are among those receiving the .
They were picked from several hundred applications from a variety of fields including business, sports, philanthropy and education.
鈥淟eadership isn鈥檛 just about the systems we change 鈥 it鈥檚 about building the conditions for others to drive transformation themselves,鈥 says Maricel Dicion, managing director, Women of Influence+. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 recipients exemplify that kind of leadership. By recognizing their work, we鈥檙e not only celebrating achievement, we鈥檙e reinforcing the many ways leadership shows up in the world and the power it has to shape the future.鈥
Dicion says the award winners鈥 influence spans policy, innovation, cultural advocacy and economic advancement, shaping industry and communities.
Engineering a sustainable future
As Schulich鈥檚 first Interim associate dean 鈥 sustainability, Eggermont, BA鈥91, BFA鈥96, MFA鈥98, PhD鈥18, says she鈥檚 always trying to connect 鈥渢he spaces in between鈥 to reframe and rethink what she teaches and what she works on creatively.
Passionate about tackling the climate crisis, she blends art, science and sustainability to create solutions for future generations.
Eggermont鈥檚 approach has received many accolades since joining the 荔枝视频 in 2002, including being named to the .
She says immigrating to Canada and never quite feeling like she鈥檚 content within the status quo has driven her to make a difference at a time when uncomfortable conversations and decisions need to happen.
鈥淭he planet will continue without us and will be a happening place for a few extreme organisms that like to feed on waste and methane, but this is currently the only habitable place with air to breathe and conditions conducive to life,鈥 Eggermont says. 鈥淪o, why not care for it?鈥
She says it鈥檚 a huge honour to be recognized with the Women of Influence+ Canada Award, adding it鈥檚 a 鈥渞ecognition that the space in between is a place worth being.鈥
Hadis Karimipour
Schulich School of Engineering
Making the cyberworld safer
In less than four years, Karimipour, PhD, has become known and trusted internationally as a cybersecurity expert.
An associate professor in Schulich鈥檚 , she is also the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Secure and Resilient Cyber-physical Systems.
Karimipour has continually received accolades for her work on intelligent AI-based monitoring and security analysis of critical infrastructure, including large-scale control systems and smart grids.
From being named a winner of the Most Inspiring Women in Cybersecurity by IT World Canada in 2022 to being one of Avenue Magazine鈥檚 Top 40 Under 40 in 2023 鈥 among other honours 鈥 she uses her technical knowledge to make the world safer.
Opening doors for women in STEM and applying her research to real-life challenges by developing AI tools to help children with autism thrive, are among Karimipour鈥檚 accomplishments.
鈥淏eing recognized as a Top 25 Women of Influence+ is a reminder that true impact is not measured by titles or accolades, but by the ripples we create 鈥 challenging ideas, inspiring change and empowering others to rise,鈥 Karimipour says.
The recipients were recognized at the 2025 Top 25 Women of Influence+ Awards Luncheon in Toronto on April 8.