Computer Science senior and Middle East Partnership Initiative – Tomorrow’s Leaders (MEPI–TL) scholar Zina Kamel has been awarded the highly competitive McCall MacBain scholarship to pursue a master’s in computer science at McGill University in Canada. One of only 10 global recipients, she is the first scholar from Lebanon, chosen from thousands of international applicants, according to a statement released by them.

As an undergraduate at LAU, Kamel, who is originally from Aleppo, Syria, built an impressive record of academic excellence and service to the community. She delivered weekly English classes to Syrian refugee students and gave coding workshops as part of the Google Developer Club.

In response to the socio-economic crisis in Lebanon, Kamel co-founded an award-winning online platform to help local businesses navigate inflation. She also worked as a software development engineering intern at Amazon.

Thanks to an opportunity from MEPI–TL, Kamel spent an exchange semester at Kent State University in Ohio last year. During her relatively short time there, she was one of a team who took part in the Robocop@Home 2023 challenge and created a social robot.

The support and prospects that were offered to her while at LAU, she said, “have empowered me to channel my passion for community service into impactful initiatives, addressing challenges with innovative solutions.”

After completing her master’s, Kamel plans to return to Syria and start a rescue and relief effort that utilizes robotics technology to help mitigate the risks to rescue workers’ safety. 

While Kamel’s devotion to serving others has no doubt left an impact on many, it has also contributed to her selection into the small cohort of 30 McCall MacBain scholars, out of thousands who have applied from around the world.

The selection process itself spanned months, and the finalists—including two other LAU students, Hedi Jaza and Rassel Narsh—traveled to Montreal last month for the last round of interviews.

Noting how Kamel’s very selection into the MEPI-TL program was an indicator of her potential, Associate Professor and MEPI-TL Academic Director Samer Habre said that “Zina is one of those scholars who have gone over and beyond the program’s requirements.” That she pursued a minor in Data Analytics while maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.93, he added, has earned her a rank among the top students in the Computer Science program.

“We could not be more excited for Zina who brings pride to our Computer Science and Mathematics Department, our MEPI-TL program and to LAU,” said LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem. “She is an extraordinary young woman and we wish her all the best.”