Maha Nawaz, a 17-year-old Pakistani student at Dubai College, is one of ten finalists competing for the $100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2024. Now in its fourth year, the award recognizes exceptional students making a positive impact on education and the world.
Maha’s inspiration comes from caring for her brother, who has autism, driving her passion to improve the lives of people with disabilities. She has developed two prototypes for prosthetic hands that perform tasks like picking up a cup or shaking hands, using brain signals.
“My mission is to empower individuals with mental or physical disabilities through technology and engineering. In the future, I aim to develop brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that translate thoughts into speech, so my mute brother can finally communicate,” she said.
