In July 2016, Maryam Alizadeh obtained her B.Sc. in mechanical engineering (with honours), from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran. She then joined the McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC) in September 2016. She is currently pursuing her M.A.Sc at McMaster University, under the supervision of Dr. Ali Emadi. Her research interests are in the areas of control, finite element analysis, and energy management for electric and hybrid vehicle applications.
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As a child, Maryam entertained herself by making new things with her toys. When she was about 6 years old, she made a small triangular car with a shoe box. This car was different from the regular cars she saw every day. When people asked her how it worked, she answered “I want to go to school to figure it out”.
At the age of 9, she familiarized herself with fuel consumption and CO2. When her teacher told her that CO2 comes out of engines and can destroy the Ozone layer, she thought that her triangular car should expel water instead, to help the earth. Her concern was that the water would cover all of the roads. When she later discovered that a cars’ engine gets hot, she thought that water could lower the temperature of the engine. It would do this by circulating the water around it, and then evaporating.
In her youth, she always thought that her triangular car could become the most environmentally-friendly car in the world. Although these ideas had many flaws, they also shaped her true interests. These ideas influenced her first major life decision, which was choosing her high school major. She found herself torn between mathematics and biology, but in the end chose mathematics due to finding invention, more challenging.
At the age of 14, NODET (the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents), accepted Maryam into their high school. It was there that she found engineering to be a comprehensive, developing, challenging, and interesting field. At the age of 18, she received top ranks in the nationwide university entrance exam. This influenced her acceptance to the Amirkabir University of Technology. Being accepted into such a prestigious university, gave her confidence and assured her that she could achieve whatever she wanted to, with hard work and perseverance.
During her undergraduate studies, she participated in several workshops, lectures, internships and took various courses. These experiences gave her a solid background in the areas of CAD modelling and designing, controlling systems, finite element analysis, and the application to vehicles and haptics systems. In July 2016, Maryam received her B.Sc. in mechanical engineering. She later commenced her master’s program, with the MacAUTO research group at McMaster University, under the supervision of Dr. Ali Emadi.
Beyond her academic works, Maryam enjoys travelling and getting familiar with different cultures. She volunteers in a non-profit organization that provides young people with leadership development and cross-cultural global internship. She also loves sports and music. In her spare time, she plays guitar, hikes, bikes, dances, and plays basketball and chess.
