Meet Victoria University's 2025 UTAA Scholar Award Recipient

^{Helen Li, recipient of the University of Toronto Alumni Association Scholars Award, is dedicated to advancing human-centered AI while promoting fairness, safety and ethics in technology.}

By Tina Adamopoulos

Victoria University student Helen Li is dedicated to empowering people to live their fullest lives by addressing critical issues in the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence. 

“My goal is to develop technologies that empower people without compromising fairness, safety and ethics,” said Li, a fourth-year student majoring in computer science and statistics in the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science.

Her dedication to this research and involvement in the university’s STEM community is being recognized through the University of Toronto Alumni Association Scholars Award, part of the university’s prestigious Awards of Excellence program.

With a research interest in human-centered AI, her work has addressed gender bias in generative text-to-image models and leveraged machine learning for menstrual health.

Working with Professors Alex Mariakakis and Khai Truong in the U of T Department of Computer Science, Li contributed to a three-month menstrual tracking study, a collaboration between the University of Toronto and Google. The project aimed to expand understanding of menstrual health through a holistic approach, including how health metrics like glucose levels and blood pressure affect menstrual health symptoms and cycles. 

“We want to make current menstrual trackers more inclusive for people who might not have the stereotypical menstrual cycle experience,” Li said.

Li joined Women in Science and Engineering in 2021, an initiative that promotes women’s education in STEM in and beyond the University of Toronto. In addition to various executive roles, she helped organize WISE’s 2024 annual conference, which attracted more than 500 attendees from across Canada.

Li has been involved in women-in-STEM communities since high school and recognizes the opportunity to give back to younger students. 

“I know some girls see me as someone they can reach out to when they have questions,” Li said. “Making those personal connections is what kept me going in this community.”

She credits Victoria College Principal Alex Hernandez, Dean Kelley Castle, and Awards and Financial Aid Co-ordinator Jillian Yee-Chang for their support with her application and interview preparation. 

Academic scholarships and awards are key to supporting student success. Discover more about the opportunities available to Victoria College students and how you can apply for these prestigious awards to help you achieve your academic goals. Learn more here.