At the EcoCAR EV Challenge Year 3 Competition, the General Motors Women in STEM Award recognized exceptional women who are not only advancing vehicle technology but also redefining what leadership looks like in STEM. Out of 13 applicants, Emma Martino of McMaster University and Katherine Zepeda-Romero of the Ohio State University-Wilberforce University team earned top honors, celebrated for their technical contributions, transformative leadership, and commitment to inspiring future generations.
Women in STEM Runner-Up, Katherine Zepeda-Romero, is a first-year master’s student in Supply Chain Management with a mechanical engineering background. Her EcoCAR journey began as a technical contributor and evolved into her current role as Mobility Challenge Lead, where she has steered her team toward meaningful, measurable community impact.
She has developed and led a comprehensive STEM outreach program that connected her team with over 400 community members. Through strategic collaborations with schools, nonprofits, and community groups, her team hosted 12 hands-on events introducing advanced vehicle systems to students of all ages.
Her technical work includes tackling critical vehicle design challenges, such as resolving vibration issues in polyurethane motor mounts. She helped create and evaluate multiple new designs, ultimately selecting a more resilient configuration that improved vibration absorption and material longevity.
Zepeda-Romero also serves as the Region 6 Vice Student Representative for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), mentoring students at over 30 universities and organizing professional development events for hundreds of participants.
“I shared my journey as a Hispanic, first-generation college student,” she said. “It’s critical to create a space where girls can see themselves in engineering.” Her idea to train educators on gender bias in STEM also drew praise for its originality and potential long-term impact.
Emma Martino, 2024-2025 Women in STEM Winner, is a fourth-year Mechatronics Engineering student whose technical acumen and mentorship have made her a powerhouse of the McMaster EcoCAR team. Over the past three years, Emma has risen from a general Systems Design & Integration (SDI) subteam member to its lead, overseeing a wide range of complex vehicle refinement projects.
She leads a dynamic team responsible for ensuring vehicle compliance with design rules and improving system integration. Her work spans the design and implementation of safety components, such as shaft guards to protect wiring from rotating parts, and the strategic re-routing of the coolant system to shield electronics.
Beyond her technical leadership, Emma is part of the EcoCAR EV Challenge Student Leadership Council and also a mentor and recruiter for women in STEM at McMaster. She’s actively brought more women into both the SDI and Mechanical Controls subteams, speaks on university-hosted Women in STEM panels, and mentors her high school robotics team, where her own passion for STEM was first sparked.
“I want to show the women on our team what they are capable of by my actions,” Martino said. “Leading major design and integration work, hosting meetings, and getting my hands dirty are all ways I lead by doing.”
Both Martino and Zepeda-Romero exemplify the spirit of the General Motors Women in STEM Awards, not just as engineers and innovators, but also as mentors and changemakers.
“After watching the Women in STEM presentations this week,” said GM’s MaryAnn Beebe during the award ceremony, “I’m confident that the future is bright and in capable hands.”
Through their technical expertise, mentorship, and dedication to outreach, students like Martino and Zepeda-Romero are not only shaping the future of advanced mobility—they’re creating lasting impact on their teams, campuses, and communities. Their work is a powerful reminder that the future of engineering is driven by those who lead with both purpose and passion.
Congratulations to all the Women in STEM applicants:
Katherine Bridges (ERAUBCU)
Avri O’Daniel (MSU)
Yalena Pino (ERAUBCU)
Katherine Zepeda-Romero (OSUWU)
Emma Martino (MAC)
Kelly Nguyen (ERAUBCU)
Caroline Deck (ERAUBCU)
Pavani Vikram (VT)
Antonia Martinez (IIT)
Elizabeth Wolny (IIT)
