|
First Gen Electrical Engineering Grad Takes Unconditional Road to STEM Star Success: Meet Rimshah Jawad, Researcher at Rutgers Bloustein School
As part of our April STEM Leaders series, we are proud to feature Rimshah Jawad, a researcher and educator whose work focuses on expanding opportunity through technology, education, and human-centered systems. From teaching computer science to advancing research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, health, and student access, her journey reflects the power of lifelong learning and a commitment to creating pathways that help individuals and communities thrive.
Tell us about your personal journey.
The unconventional road taught me what the traditional one couldn’t.
My journey did not follow a straight line, and that has shaped everything I do today. I began with a degree in electrical engineering, married at 20, and soon found myself raising children while building a life far from what I had originally imagined. Over time, I transitioned into education, where I discovered my passion for teaching computer science.
I began teaching primary and middle school students and eventually worked my way up to high school. Along the way I helped build computer science curriculum, became my school’s IT lead, and managed the learning management system. I later started my own coding academy for children and worked with international schools in the UK and New Zealand. For years I poured myself into helping students grow, and I was proud of the impact I was making.
But eventually a quiet question kept returning. Is this all there is for me? What more can I become?
When I moved to the United States, I chose to return to school ten years after my undergraduate degree, not to start over but to grow again. Becoming a graduate student while raising two children and adapting to a new country pushed me in ways I never expected. It taught me resilience, humility, and how to keep moving even when the path feels uncertain.
Today I am pursuing a Master of Public Informatics at Rutgers, where my work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, health, and student access. Alongside my studies, I help build InPerson+, a human centered platform focused on connection, mentorship, and opportunity for first generation students and professionals. Every chapter of my life from education to motherhood to research has shaped my desire to create systems that are more compassionate, more accessible, and more human.
My path may have been different, but it led me exactly where I needed to be.
What pivotal experiences shaped your current path?
After completing my degree in electrical engineering, I made the unexpected decision to enter education. While teaching computer science, I noticed a painful gap. Students around the world were learning to code through platforms like Scratch, while many students in Pakistan were still being taught the basics such as what is a mouse or a keyboard. I realized that if I truly wanted to serve my students, I needed to change what and how they were learning.
That realization pushed me to redesign the computer science curriculum at my school. What began as a small effort soon became a larger shift adopted by other schools. Seeing students move from memorization to creation was transformative. It also led me to start my own coding academy for children and collaborate with an organization in Pakistan to create a free bilingual Introduction to Python course so learners, regardless of background, could take their first step into coding.
Another turning point came when artificial intelligence and machine learning became part of the British high school curriculum in Pakistan. I knew I could not guide my students forward unless I grew myself. That desire to upskill led me to the United States, where I received a scholarship to pursue a Master of Public Informatics at Rutgers.
During my master’s program I helped develop a chatbot designed to support mothers experiencing postpartum challenges. The research was published and the response was deeply moving. I am now expanding this work into a more holistic multi agent support system and conducting research on how environmental conditions such as air pollution may affect the body’s stress response.
Alongside my academic work, I collaborate with InPerson+, which supports first generation students and professionals. Through this work I have seen how limited access to resources and networks can quietly shape people’s paths. This has inspired my research into how mentorship, institutional structures, and family support can expand opportunity and build confidence.
What are the most valuable lessons you've learned through your work?
The most valuable lesson I have learned is that people are not lacking potential. They are often lacking support, clarity, and someone who believes in them. When people are given the right environment, they begin to see what is possible for themselves.
What drives your desire to contribute and make a difference?
At every stage of my life, one quiet question has followed me. What’s more? It is the question that keeps me growing and reaching for what’s next.
I am also driven by the people behind the stories. The students who doubt themselves, the parents trying to do their best, and the professionals quietly wondering if they are capable of more. I see myself in them.
Most of all, my children inspire me every day. Seeing them grow reminds me why this work matters and why I want to help create a world where people feel supported and hopeful about what’s ahead.
What are your highest hopes for democracy to unite, uplift, and inspire?
Democracy should bring people together and remind us that our voices matter. It should create space for real conversations and help people believe they have a role in shaping the future. I hope that democracy continues to grow into something that truly serves the people it represents.
How can GlobalMindED support leaders like yourself in achieving your goals and advancing your aspirations?
GlobalMindED has the power to bring together people working toward meaningful change. Creating spaces for connection, learning, and collaboration, it helps leaders feel supported rather than isolated.
GlobalMindED doesn’t just open doors. It helps people walk through them with confidence.
Connect with Rimshah Jawad:
InPerson+
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University
Master of Public Informatics
| 
