Teenage Indian-American inventor Gitanjali Rao was honoured by US First Lady Jill Biden, along with 14 other young women leaders, for leading a change and shaping a brighter future in their communities across the nation.
The 17-year-old scientist was honoured on Wednesday in the first-ever “Girls Leading Change” celebration at the White House, marking the International Day of the Girl. Rao created a device called ‘Tethys’ which uses carbon nanotubes to quickly detect lead compounds in water and sends in the values of the water status — ‘safe’, ‘slightly contaminated’, or ‘critical’ — to a smartphone app.
The 15 young women leaders, selected by the White House Gender Policy Council, were honoured by First Lady Jill to recognise their impact on their communities.
“It is my honour to celebrate this exceptional group of “Girls Leading Change” at the White House,” she was quoted as saying in a White House press release.
“These young women are protecting and preserving the earth, writing and sharing stories that change minds, and turning their pain into purpose. Together, they represent the potential of young people across the country, and it is my hope that others can learn from the power of their innovation, strength, and hope,” she said.
Rao, from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is a scientist whose groundbreaking lead contamination detection tool won her an EPA Presidential Award and America’s Top Young Scientist by Discovery Education/3M.
Her book ‘Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM’, which offers a prescriptive five-step innovation process, is used as a STEM curriculum globally in selected schools, according to the release.
Named the Time Magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year in 2020, Rao “is committed to not only continuing her career as a scientist and inventor but expanding her STEM education initiative, which has already touched more than 80,000 elementary, middle, and high school students,” the release said.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology freshman, she has also been featured in Forbes’ list of 30 Under 30 achievers.
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