CS Undergrad Meera Kumar selected for WISE Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentoring Award

Computer science undergraduate Meera Kumar has been selected to receive the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentoring Award last Thursday at our annual awards ceremony. This award is one of the Willie Hobbs Moore Awards that WISE gives each year to honor Wolverines who promote equity in STEM through scholarship, mentorship, innovation, or leadership. The Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentoring Award is specifically awarded to individuals who have served as an exemplar of formal or informal mentorship of STEM students. 

Meera has been a WISE Residential Program Peer Mentor since the Fall of 2022. Under this program, every first-year student is paired with a second-year student within the program who will serve as their Peer Mentor by introducing them to campus and offering support and resources throughout the year. In her time as a mentor, Meera has gone above and beyond to care for her mentees. One of her mentees said, “She helps with both academic and personal issues, and you can tell she truly cares about us. She’s an amazing mentor, friend, and person, and is truly deserving of this award.”

Another mentee says of Meera, “I can honestly say that she has been the best cheerleader, confidant, and friend that I could have asked for while struggling to adjust to college life… She’s helped me get through my lowest points, and she is without a doubt the person I’d call if I ever needed advice… I cannot express the full extent of the impact Meera’s kindness and commitment have had on our community, and I can’t imagine how I would have survived my first semester without her steadfast guidance and compassion.”

Meera is a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying computer science with minors in French and linguistics. Her interests lie in artificial intelligence, data analysis, and software development. She is a software developer on a project team within U-M Tech 4 Social Good, where she is currently collaborating to build a website aimed at helping immigrants integrate to South-East Michigan through assistance with finding jobs and communities in their area. She is also a member of the Internal Relations committee in Girls in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (GEECS). Outside of school, Meera is an archer, an inbox zero fanatic, and an NYT crossword enthusiast.