Meet Monash University’s latest Women in STEMM Student Leaders – Yvonne Strover
Undergraduate – Arts (majoring in History and Philosophy), Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering
Research focus: creating technology that challenges systemic inequalities
Yvonne Strover is a recipient of a 2023 Women in STEMM Student Leader Award. These awards aim to recognise, celebrate and support women students at Monash University who are contributing to innovation in healthcare and medical technologies. MIME spoke to Yvonne upon accepting this award.
What is your chosen degree and what inspired you to pursue this path?
I was looking to pursue a pathway in university that did not compromise on my wide array of passions. I was grateful that Monash offered a pathway which understood the value of multidisciplinary learning.
I pursued a double degree in Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and Philosophy alongside a Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering.
What motivated me on this pathway was a desire to understand how technology that builds our communities works and alongside this, understand how to think critically about them. I aspire to understand how best to make technology work for people and the environment, that is, innovation with the purpose of increasing social good.
What is your favourite aspect about this STEMM field?
STEMM is an incredibly important field to me as it is the interdisciplinary workings of science and research, technological innovation, and medical advancement. It acknowledges the necessity of collaboration with the purpose of improving lives.
Can you elaborate on your contribution to innovation in healthcare and medical technologies?
Sonorus, led by a team of Monash women in STEMM, is a recently developed start up aimed at using artificial intelligence and specially designed hardware to improve rheumatic heart disease diagnostics in rural communities, initially focusing on the indigenous population of Australia. The problem of rheumatic heart disease is not on curability, as this can be done simply if caught early, instead the problem is one of early detection. In this space we are conducting technological innovation via the development of a cost-savvy and simple to use instrument. This will be distributed to community leaders where it can detect biomarkers of heart disease beyond the traditional human hearing-centric method of a stethoscope. We are utilising key principles of co-design, partnering with indigenous leaders to ensure our purpose aligns with the needs of those we serve.
Founded earlier in 2023, Sonorus was part of last year’s Monash Generator accelerator program, giving the team essential business planning frameworks, funding, a team of ongoing mentorship and a strong innovative community to build alongside. In 2024 the team has expanded to include sub-teams in every facet of the company from technical to non-technical as we look forward to developing a minimal viable product to test in a future clinical trial and amongst community driven focus groups.
Sonorus as a healthcare company wants to serve the underserved, increase early detection of a preventable and easily treatable heart disease, and encourage a culture of preventative medicine.
Can you tell us a little of your leadership experience?
The Monash student team’s initiative and my four year long commitment to the Monash Young MedTech Innovators (MYMI) has been the most integral aspect of the development of my leadership capabilities throughout my time at Monash.
I took the opportunity to try many different roles. I initially became the leader of professional and social Medtech events, including a student led symposium. Then moved to becoming the lead of Culture, creating the team’s feedback loop, and ensuring a smooth process from recruitment, knowledge transfer to exits of members. Finally, I then led the day-to-day operations and eventually the complete restructuring of MIME and MYMI’s collaborative 12 week summer scholarship program: the Healthcare Innovation Summer Scholarship, alongside former award recipient Julie Dao. It has been a great privilege to be trusted with great and impactful responsibilities, allowing me to enter the workforce with a strong sense of organisational teamwork.
Over my years at university, I developed a great passion for the bio design innovation process for developing healthcare technology and it is an honour to be able to ensure the continuation of that knowledge for future generations of leaders and innovators.
The MIME Women in STEMM Student Leader Awards recognise student leadership. What does receiving this award mean to you?
This award and the statement of recognition it represents reminds me of how far I have come and to trust in my own capabilities, undoing in part the doubt that comes with the under-representation of women in my field. As a once young woman in STEMM, entering university with very little background in engineering and innovation, I have now left with far more confidence and experience than I could imagine.
What will the $1,000 cash prize to support your studies go towards?
This prize ensures I can support myself whilst I continue to innovate alongside my team at Sonorus to develop healthcare innovations.
What are you most looking forward to in regard to the MIME networking opportunities afforded to you due to receiving this award?
The community of MIME is well connected to the endless talent and passion of the Monash academic and research community, which has been integral to Sonorus in finding likeminded individuals able to push forward our healthcare innovation.
Why do you think awards like this are important for Women in STEMM?
Awards such as this aim to correct the gender imbalance by proudly supporting the capabilities of women in STEMM. I aim to be an example that you do not have to be an outlier or exceptional to do excellent and interesting things as a woman in STEMM. Just be prepared to take leaps and challenge yourself with the many opportunities out there.
What is your advice for women in STEMM or those thinking about a career in STEMM?
Do not think you have to be exceptional or one of the few outstanding individuals to pursue a career in STEMM. Being interested, prepared for challenges and persevering is what I needed to make it through the challenging pathway of engineering. I experienced a lot of doubt at my own capacity to make it through the journey, I am very proud of myself and my peers for making it out the other side. You can do it.