Spirit Spotlight: Gitanjali Rao
When you think of a teenager who is an inventor, author, scientist and STEM promoter, whose name do you think? We are thinking about Gitanjali Rao! Today, we want to celebrate her accomplishments as they inspire us to new heights.
Born in Colorado, USA in 2005, Gitanjali has been influenced by science at an early age. When she heard about the Flint water crisis at the age of 10, she developed a device called Tethys to measure the lead content in water. Tethys contains a 9-volt battery, a lead sensing unit, a bluetooth extension and a processor. It uses carbon nanotubes where its resistance changes in the presence of lead [1]. This innovation awarded her the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2017.
Gitanjali continued to innovate by developing a diagnostic tool call "Epione" based on advances in genetic engineering for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction. As well, she created an app called "Kindly" that uses artificial intelligence to detect cyberbullying at an early age [1].
Gitanjali is also recognized as an author. At the age of 9, she published her first book called "Baby Brother Wonders" that explores the world through the eyes of her younger brother. She has recently published another book under her belt called "A Young Innovator's Guide to STEM" that focuses on sharing a roadmap to innovation with a practical process for innovation and foolproof tips to compete in STEM and other contests [2].
By the time she was 15 years old, she has been recognized for the following achievements to create social changes using science and technology.
- America's Top Young Scientist for showcasing an innovative product
- Forbes 30 Under 30 for community service and innovation
- Time's Young Innovator for global workshops and innovations
- Time's Kid of the Year for the promotion of STEM and Innovation globally
At an early age, Gitanjali's primary goal was to make someone happy and bring positivity to the community we live in. Now, Gitanjali has already built a mission for her journey to create a global change by starting an innovation movement of teens looking to make a difference. And we know that her journey will continue to prosper while inspiring all of us to make a difference in our community!
References:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gitanjali_Rao_(scientist)
[2] https://gitanjalirao.net/