News 2023
Leadership Opportunities: ASEI Board Nominations Open till Dec 7, 2023
Chapter: ASEI National
Dear ASEI Members,
Happy Thanksgiving and start of the festive season! I hope you have been following our social media newsfeed and seeing how we celebrated our 40th anniversary including our 35th National Convention recently.
To drive our mission forward, ASEI needs dedicated volunteers and Board members who take pride in our past and are forward thinking and believe in taking action and making a difference. All chapters of ASEI need to conduct their annual election to fill the 2024 Board of Directors open positions.
In accordance with ASEI constitution, we have appointed the following Board members to the Election Committee:
National Board of Election Committee: Dr Shreekant Agrawal, Ram Ramanujam, G Satish
Dallas Chapter Board of Election Committee: Puneet Dixit & Jayati
Michigan Chapter Board of Election Committee : Kush Shah & Rakesh Patel
Seattle Chapter Board of Election Committee: Srini Vemula & Sunita Dublish
Silicon Valley Chapter Board of Election Committee : Kanakshila Tandon & Amrish Chopra
SoCal Chapter Board of Election Committee: Sanjay Dalal & Vrunda
Washington DC Chapter Board of Election Committee: Venkat Gururathnam & Lekha
Hence, the purpose of this communication is to request nominations from the membership for the ASEI National & Chapter Board of Directors. There are several open positions that will be filled through this nomination process.
You can self-nominate or nominate someone else for the ASEI National or Chapter Board position. If nominating someone else, please get concurrence from your nominee before submitting the nomination.
To be eligible to become a board member, the nominee must be an ASEI paid member (Annual Professional or Life member) in good standing, must have participated in ASEI volunteer activities at local or national level, and must have exhibited leadership qualities from experiences that would add significant value to the board and ASEI. The nominee must be ready and willing to participate in all (or almost all) board meetings and contribute by participating in ASEI activities including membership of various committees of ASEI. The nominees should become familiar with ASEI membership types and Constitution and Bylaws available at www.aseiusa.org
Please click here to submit your nomination. The deadline to submit nominations is Dec 7, 2023.
Piyush Malik
President, ASEI National
Press Release: Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian wins ASEI’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement award at 35th National convention ASEIcon2023
Chapter: ASEI National
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian wins ASEI’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement award at 35th National convention ASEIcon2023
Southfield, Michigan
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI), a 501 c3 non-profit, successfully hosted ASEIcon2023 - its 35th National Convention focusing on NextGeneration Engineering Innovations recently at Hotel Radisson, Southfield, MI.
One of the highlights of ASEI National conventions is its celebratory Awards gala dinner and entertainment event that honors the contribution of outstanding individuals to the engineering profession, the society and community at large.
The annual ASEI awards were presented as follows in different categories:
ASEI Lifetime Achievement : Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud
ASEI Entrepreneur of the Year: Dheeraj Pandey, Founder & CEO, DevRev
ASEI Scientist of the Year : Dr Nina Tandon, CEO, EpiBone
ASEI Engineer of the Year- AI: Rama Akkiraju, Vice President, NVIDIA
ASEI Engineer of the Year- Transportation & Sustainability: Dr Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, CEO MobilityVision
ASEI Service Excellence Award : Surbhi Kaul, Vice President, Juniper Networks
Hari B. Bindal ASEI Founder’s Award : Muthu Sivananthan, Energy & Materials Industry Solutions Leader, Dassault Systèmes
The Corporate Excellence Recognition Program (CERP) was also revived as part of ASEI CorporateConnect initiative and employees nominated by sponsoring organizations Detroit Engineering Products and GHD were recognized. GMS Registrar honored the original founders of the CERP (Dr Ravi Rout, Jag Kottha and Mahesh Reddy) in addition to their Vice President Anjali Kottha.
ASEI President Piyush Malik said, "On behalf of ASEI, I am very pleased to recognize & congratulate each awardee for their dedication, hard work, and exemplary contribution in their respective fields. For the past 4 decades, ASEI has served the community well in Indo-US technology relations and provided mentoring, networking and learning opportunities for young technologists & engineers through our strategic initiatives. We are now gearing up for our future 40 years!"
Picture1: ASEI 2023 Award winners
Picture 2: Members of ASEI National and Michigan chapter at the ASEIcon2023
The objective of this convention was to provide a forum to promote and share advancements related to latest cutting edge innovations and technologies across various engineering disciplines. The convention was attended by over 400 professionals including scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders across the USA. ASEIcon2023 featured keynotes and multiple interactive sessions with prominent business and technology leaders, scientists, media personalities, educators, policy makers, and venture capitalists.
ASEIcon 2023 featured a stellar line-up of speakers. The opening keynote to invigorate the audience was by Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Growth Officer at Stellantis. She spoke about disruption and networked talent, encouraging attendees to have bolder planet-wide vision to disrupt oneself as well as their organization. She emphasized “Discover your authentic leadership style and learn to exit your comfort zone”. Mamatha lauded ASEI on its “School to University to Profession to Planet” vision that was articulated by Piyush Malik in his “State of the Union ASEI@40” address just before her keynote.
Rophin Paul, CEO of Wipro Pari, Ashwini Balasubramanian of Harley Davidson & Ankur Ganguli of General Motors, were amongst 30+ CxO and engineering executives who spoke at the convention. Apart from talks and panel discussions in parallel tracks covering Automotive, Mobility, Infrastructure and Energy, there was a youth technology exposition (YTE) featuring projects by prize winning STEM students as well.
A deep-dive on policy decisions for the Mobility Industry by K. Venkatesh Prasad, of CAR was the closing keynote where he stressed that “Innovation today needs research and investments from decades ago”. He concluded that our future is bright since the US is investing heavily in Mobility, AI, Space, Materials etc which will keep us relevant on the global stage.
We heard “Rock That “ loud and clear from Shawn Lee of TEDx Detroit who energized the awards banquet audience with his talk on DEI, people investment and selfless giving.
Picture 3: Speakers for the ASEIcon2023
About ASEI
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is a 501 c(3) non-profit aiming to foster engineering and scientific temper in the next generation of technologists, engineers and scientists amongst the Indian diaspora for the past 40 years. Through a variety of strategic programs such as UniversityConnect, MentorConnect, YTE, CorporateConnect and more, ASEI provides a platform for networking, career advancement, community service, mentoring and technology exchange for professionals, students and businesses in the United States and abroad. Members are guided by several objectives, including the creation of an open, inclusive, and transparent organization; providing positive role models, awarding scholarships, and remaining socially responsible. ASEI was founded in 1983 in Detroit, Michigan. Today, the organization also has chapters in Dallas, Southern California, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit: https://aseiusa.org/
2023 ASEI Awards Announcement
Chapter: ASEI National
PRESS RELEASE
ASEI to honor Engineers, Scientists and Community leaders at ASEIcon2023, celebrating 40 years since inception
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI), a 501 c3 non-profit, is hosting ASEIcon2023 - it’s 35th National Convention focusing on NextGeneration Engineering Innovations. The awards banquet following the convention will be held on September 30th, 2023 at Hotel Radisson, Southfield, MI.
This convention co-chaired by Rakesh Patel and Muthu Sivanantham will consist of keynotes as well as parallel tracks covering Automotive, Mobility, Infrastructure and Energy. It is being hosted by the ASEI Michigan Chapter and is a milestone event of significance as it is returning to the birthplace of ASEI in its 40th year after several years of being hosted in other chapters.
After an open public solicitation where both ASEI members and non-members were eligible to nominate in different categories, a rigorous vetting process by the ASEI awards committee ensued. As a result, this year's outstanding achievement awards go to the following individuals:
ASEI Lifetime Achievement : Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud
ASEI Entrepreneur of the Year: Dheeraj Pandey, Founder & CEO, DevRev
ASEI Scientist of the Year : Dr Nina Tandon, CEO, Epibone
ASEI Engineer of the Year- AI: Rama Akkiraju, Vice President, NVIDIA
ASEI Engineer of the Year- Transportation & Sustainability: Dr Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, CEO MobilityVision
ASEI Service Excellence Award : Surbhi Kaul, Vice President, Juniper Networks
Hari B. Bindal ASEI Founder’s Award : Muthu Sivananthan, Energy & Materials Industry Solutions Leader, Dassault Systèmes
ASEI President Piyush Malik said, "ASEI is a great organization providing a broad platform for the Indian origin engineers, technologists and young scientists providing wide networking and learning opportunities for all technology & engineering professionals. On behalf of ASEI, I am very pleased to recognize & congratulate each awardee for their dedication, hard work, and exemplary contribution in their respective fields."
Further Details about the ASEI award winners:
ASEI Lifetime Achievement
Thomas Kurian
CEO, Google Cloud
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kurian-469b6219/
Thomas joined Google in 2018 as the CEO of Google Cloud and through remarkable efforts has led it to profitability and fastest growth amongst public cloud providers.
Prior to Google, Thomas spent 22 years at Oracle, where most recently he was President of Product Development. His nearly 30 years of experience have given him a deep knowledge of engineering, enterprise relationships, and leadership of large organizations.
ASEI Engineer of the Year - AI
Rama Akkiraju
Vice President, NVIDIA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramaakkiraju/
Rama Akkiraju, VP of AI & Automation at NVIDIA IT, previously held leadership roles at IBM for two decades as IBM Fellow, Master Inventor and the CTO of IBM Watson AI Operations.
Rama was recognized by Forbes' as 'Top 20 Women in AI Research' in 2017. 'USA Industry Innovator of the Year' and 'AI Industry Leader of the Year' are only a few among the many industry awards received by Rama over the years. Rama was a featured speaker at ASEI’s 33rd National Convention in 2020
ASEI Entrepreneur of the Year
Dheeraj Pandey
CEO, DevRev & Board member Adobe
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpandey/
Dheeraj is a serial entrepreneur, Founder & CEO at DevRev and a board member at Adobe.Prior to this, he founded and led Nutanix as CEO & Chairman for 10 years. Previously, Dheeraj was the VP of Engineering at Aster Data (now Teradata), where he helped build the product and its engineering team from the ground up.
Dheeraj’s entrepreneurial spirit has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards including Dell’s Founders 50 and the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year.
ASEI Scientist of the Year
Dr Nina Tandon
CEO, Epibone
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-tandon-phd-mba-03595315/
Nina Tandon is the co-founder and CEO of EpiBone, a biotech company that grows bone and cartilage for skeletal reconstruction. With decades of experience as a scientist and entrepreneur, Nina is known for her TED Talks, has published in Forbes magazine, and was featured on the Netflix series “Human: The World Within.”
Recognized for her accomplishments as a female scientist and entrepreneur, Nina was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company Magazine; an Ernst & Young Winning Woman; and Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, among other awards. Nina holds a Master’s in Bioelectrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and two advanced degrees from Columbia University – an MBA and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.
ASEI Engineer of the Year - (Transportation & Sustainability)
Dr Praveen Vayalamkuzhi
CEO, MobilityVision
https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenvayalamkuzhi/
Dr. Praveen, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur, possesses extensive international experience in transportation safety research, with a focus on engineering and education measures. As the Founder and CEO of MobilityVision Inc. he leads a science-driven organization dedicated to safe and sustainable mobility.
For his impactful contributions he has received honors like the Rising Star of Safety 2022 by the National Safety Council and Forty Under 40 in 2022 by the Association Forum. His pioneering transportation safety research earned him the title of Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in 2023, contributing to social advancement.
ASEI Service Excellence
Surbhi Kaul
Vice President, Juniper Networks
https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhikaul/
Surbhi's leadership role at Juniper centers around enhancing customer experiences through the integration of Juniper’s Experience-First Networking initiatives
across every facet of the customer journey.
With over two decades of impactful leadership in product design, development, and strategy within Fortune 500 companies, Surbhi is a seasoned professional who has
spearheaded visionary product and engineering teams at tech giants such as Google, YouTube, Netflix, and Cisco.
Surbhi has not only served ASEI as its National Board member and on several ASEI committees, over the past ten years she has served several other community and alumni non profits.
Hari B. Bindal ASEI Founder’s Award of the Year
Muthu Sivanantham
Industry Solutions Leader;
Dassault Systèmes
https://www.linkedin.com/in/muthusivanantham/
Muthu has been serving ASEI for the past 3 years as the President of the Michigan Chapter. Professionally, he is responsible to provide game-changing Industry solutions to Energy, Materials & Manufacturing customers, act as their trusted advisor and promote Digital Twin Solutions in the Industry.
Muthu is a passionate Technology Leader focused on sustainability, climate tech, and carbon free energy with a special eye for advanced nuclear power. He has over 28 years of Industry experience serving customers from Automotive, Aerospace and now the Energy Industry with a strong acumen in Digital Manufacturing and Product Lifecycle Management.
Table : ASEIcon2023 Awardees
Registration to the conference & ASEIcon2023 Award Ceremony is available here.
The evening of Sept 30th, 2023 will consist of a banquet dinner and entertainment program celebrating winners of the prestigious ASEI annual awards and revival of the corporate excellence recognition program (CERP). The CERP awards sponsored by GMS Registrar, DEP and GHD will also be awarded by their management.
About ASEI
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is a 501 c(3) non-profit aiming to foster engineering and scientific temper in the next generation of technologists, engineers and scientists amongst the Indian diaspora for the past 40 years. Through a variety of strategic programs such as UniversityConnect, MentorConnect, YTE, CorporateConnect and more, ASEI provides a platform for networking, career advancement, community service, mentoring and technology exchange for professionals, students and businesses in the United States and abroad. Members are guided by several objectives, including the creation of an open, inclusive, and transparent organization; providing positive role models, awarding scholarships, and remaining socially responsible. ASEI was founded in 1983 in Detroit, Michigan. Today, the organization also has chapters in Dallas, Southern California, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit: https://aseiusa.org
Media Contacts: Dr Thomas Abraham, Chair Media Relations innoresearch@optonline.net, 203-329-8010 or Piyush Malik, President, ASEI 510-304-9890, piyushventures@gmail.com
ASEIcon2023 is happening this week! Last call to register
Chapter: ASEI National
PRESS RELEASE
Celebrating 40th Anniversary, ASEI is hosting its 35th National Convention ASEIcon2023 on Sept 30th
Detroit, Michigan
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI), a 501 c3 non-profit, is hosting ASEIcon2023 - its 35th National Convention focusing on NextGeneration Engineering Innovations. This convention will be held on September 30th, 2023 at Hotel Radisson, Southfield, MI. Hosted by the Michigan Chapter, this is a milestone convention that has a significance as it is returning to the birthplace of ASEI after several years of being hosted in other chapters and virtual national conventions during the past 3 years.
Apart from talks and panel discussions in parallel tracks covering Automotive, Mobility, Infrastructure and Energy, there will be a youth technology exposition (YTE) featuring projects by STEM students as well. The evening will comprise of a gala dinner and entertainment celebrating winners of the prestigious ASEI annual awards and revival of corporate engineering recognition program (CERP). The annual ASEI awards will be announced for following categories:
ASEI Lifetime Achievement
ASEI Entrepreneur of the Year
ASEI Engineers/Scientists of Year
ASEI Service Excellence
ASEI Founder’s Award sponsored by family of ASEI Founder Hari Bindal
Program details are available here: http://aseiusa.org/NC/Program
The objective of this convention is to provide a forum to promote and share advancements related to latest cutting edge innovations and technologies across various engineering disciplines. The convention is expected to be attended by over 400 professionals including scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders across the USA. ASEIcon2023 will feature keynotes and multiple interactive sessions with prominent business and technology leaders, scientists, media personalities, educators, policy makers, and venture capitalists. This event will be covered by the local and national media including leading social media outlets.
ASEIcon 2023 features a stellar line-up of speakers. The opening keynote to invigorate the audience is by Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Growth Officer at Stellantis. A deep dive on policy decisions for the Mobility Industry by K. Venkatesh Prasad, of CAR. Talking about Innovations & Digital Evolutions and AI will be Dr. Soma Venkat, CIO of Cooper Standard and Dr. Raj Ramesh, AI Author and a TEDx Speaker. To energize the Banquet audience on DEI, people investment and selfless giving we will hear from Shawn Lee of TEDx Detroit. Rophin Paul, CEO of Wipro Pari, Radha Krishnan, president of DEP and Ram G Ramanujam, President of Somat Engineering, Ashwini Balasubramanian of Harley Davidson & Ankur Ganguli of General Motors, are amongst 30+ CxO and engineering executives speaking during Saturday 30th September. To join us on these conversations, register here. Following poster shows the speakers confirmed for this convention
About ASEI
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is a 501 c(3) non-profit aiming to foster engineering and scientific temper in the next generation of technologists, engineers and scientists amongst the Indian diaspora for the past 40 years. Through a variety of strategic programs such as UniversityConnect, MentorConnect, YTE, CorporateConnect and more, ASEI provides a platform for networking, career advancement, community service, mentoring and technology exchange for professionals, students and businesses in the United States and abroad. Members are guided by several objectives, including the creation of an open, inclusive, and transparent organization; providing positive role models, awarding scholarships, and remaining socially responsible. ASEI was founded in 1983 in Detroit, Michigan. Today, the organization also has chapters in Dallas, Southern California, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit: https://aseiusa.org/
Media inquiries, contact: Dr Thomas Abraham, innoresearch@optonline.net, 203-329-8010
Piyush Malik, President, ASEI piyushventures@gmail.com 510-304-9890
ASEI 35th National Awards at ASEIcon2023- Nominations open till Aug 31st
Chapter: ASEI National
The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is a national organization of professionals of Asian Indian diaspora in the USA that shares knowledge among its members, shapes the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists and technologists and performs community service helping the disadvantaged and underprivileged.
American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is hosting ASEICon2023 which is our 35th National Convention focusing on Next Generation Innovations. This convention will be held on Sep30th 2023 in Detriot, Michigan. The objective of this convention is to provide a forum to promote and share advancements related to technologies that contribute to our society with innovations. Keynotes, Fireside chats and Panel discussions covering some of the most pressing problems our world is facing today. The convention is expected to be attended by over 500 professionals in-person with content impressions of 100 times more to professionals including scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders across the USA. This convention will feature multiple interactive sessions with prominent business owners, technologists, media personalities, educators, policy makers, and venture capitalists. It will be covered by the local and national media outlets and leading social media platforms.
The convention will culminate with award celebration where those who have made outstanding achievements in engineering and technology and those who have contributed to society at large and to ASEI organization will be recognized.
NOMINATION PROCESS
Please fill in the appropriate nomination form and send it in with a bio and other supporting documents digitally such as press cuttings of any achievement or previous awards. Nominations can be for self or by a colleague, except for ASEI Service Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards, which have to be nominated as instructed in the nomination forms. All nominations must be received before August 31,2023
ASEI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
This award is presented to an individual who has been actively involved or a member of ASEI for at least 15 years, served and participated in various capacities in the activities of local and national chapters and contributed significantly to promote the vision and goals of the ASEI organization. This candidate is selected by the recommendation of the Award Committee and approval by the Chairman of the ASEI board.
ASEI PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD CATEGORIES (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
ASEI ENTREPRENEUR /INTRAPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
This award recognizes the achievements of an ASEI member, who best exemplifies the ideals of entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more businesses in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements. An Intrapreneur who works along the same line but within the umbrella of a larger organization and has scaled innovations and business may be considered as well
-The company should demonstrate profitability.
-The company should demonstrate significant growth and long-term potential.
-The entrepreneur should note contributions to the community through charitable or leadership roles.
-The company should demonstrate innovative employee programs and corporate culture.
-The entrepreneur should demonstrate the ability to overcome adversity.
ASEI ENGINEER/SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
The nominee should have demonstrated significant achievements in cutting-edge technology in their field of engineering or related science, managed and directed an organization or founded a company and made noteworthy contributions in design, manufacturing, production or service through the use of engineering principles and applications.
ASEI SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
This is the highest recognition that ASEI bestows upon an individual who has exhibited exemplary leadership that has benefited ASEI organization and ASEI members at large. The recipient should have been responsible for one or more major initiatives, which have resulted in notable and/or highly innovative achievements or expansions of the ASEI mission (ASEI Mission: "To promote growth and development of programs and initiatives that foster career and professional development for ASEI members and cultivate engineering, scientific, and technical exchanges between USA and India”). The recipient is required to have served in one or more responsible positions within ASEI. The award honors an individual who has:
-Played a key role in establishing and building the ASEI Value.
-Made notable contributions to the advancement in the field of engineering.
-Given selflessly his/her time and energy to the ASEI national and local chapters.
ASEI FOUNDER’S AWARD (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
Open to the ASEI national officers and committee members. The person who has contributed the most in the previous year will be recognized. Recommendation has to come from previous year’s officers as well as current officers and sent to Dr Neeraj Bindal and ASEI National President to finalize the award. The award consists of a plaque, memento and a cash award of $1,000 presented at the ASEI Annual National Convention banquet event.
ASEI CORPORATE EXCELLENCE RECOGNITION PROGRAM (CERP) (CLICK TO NOMINATE)
Developed in 2005, the CERP awards are a result of ASEI collaborating with leading US corporations. The vision of CERP is to salute the innovative strength that comes from a diversity of human capital. This award recognizes corporate excellence of outstanding engineers of Indian origin who are employed in industry, academia or government entities. Candidates are nominated by their managers and approved by their Human Resources department.
The CERP awards are presented for five categories as follows:
1.Corporate Engineering Excellence Award (Professional achievement)
2.Corporate Woman Engineer of the Year Award (Gender specific)
3.Corporate Young Engineer of the year Award (under 35 age, less than 10 years experience)
4.Corporate Outstanding Achievement Award
5.Corporate Service Excellence Award
The CERP awards criteria is based on achievements, innovation, leadership, teamwork, integrity, community service, and leadership roles in other professional societies such as SAE, AIAA, ASME, TiE, ISSIP etc.
Instituted in 2005 by the ASEI board, these awards are administered under the auspices of the ASEI Award Committee and in cooperation with the Corporate Selection Committee. The awards will consist of a plaque and recognition during the ASEI Annual National Convention banquet. Applications for the CERP awards are submitted by the sponsoring company.
ASEI Congratulates the Indo-American STEM students aspiring to be America's Top Young Scientist for 2023
Chapter: ASEI National
The annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes and rewards innovative minds in the United States. It is back with 10 finalists including 6 Indian Americans, Kids of Indian origin have time and again shined in the competition for their novel ideas and scientific innovations and ASEI is proud of them.
Discovery Education’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a prestigious STEM competition that provides a stage for America’s middle school students in 5 to 8 grades to demonstrate their ideas and solutions to tackle real-world issues. The ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ title winner will earn a $25K grand prize while all the 10 finalists get $1000 each along with an opportunity to participate in an exclusive summer mentorship program with a 3M scientist. Lets get to know these 6 Indian American STEM kids:
3M Young Scientist Ishaan Iyer, Los Angeles
The inventor of the Tactile Electronic Braille Display Device 2.0, Ishaan Iyer is the youngest of all ten finalists of Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2023. He designed a cost-effective device to simplify the labor-intensive method of Braille writing with a slate and stylus. His model encodes the English alphabet into Braille language and aids the visually impaired in reading the Braille Alphabet easily. Ishan Iyer, who mentions a reusable rocket as his favorite invention of the last 100 years, hopes to be a rocket scientist working on building economical and eco-friendly spacecraft.
3M Young Scientist Adhip Maitra, Florida
Have you ever heard of ptosis? It’s a condition that causes eyelids to droop abnormally, sometimes even blocking the vision. Ptosis can be a result of aging, but most people do not even realize that they have this condition until it turns worse. This, along with the fact that it can be a symptom of 48 diseases and disorders, inspired Adhip Maitra to develop a computer program for early detection of ptosis. According to him, it helps with the timely detection of any serious underlying conditions that generally go undetected until the final stage. The 8th grader from Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo, Florida employed deep learning and other technologies to develop this computer program.
3M Young Scientist Shruti Sivaraman, Texas
One of the six Indian Americans named in the top 10 finalists of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2023 is Shruti Sivaraman from Austin, Texas. The young app developer created an application to diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a vision-threatening complication plaguing the diabetic population. Her smart app detects Diabetic Retinopathy by examining the retinal images unlike the conventional dilated eye exam that involves the use of dilation drops. Shruti is a seventh grader studying at Canyon Vista Middle School and she aims to become a computer engineer.
3M Young Scientist Anish Kosaraju, California
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2021 lists cybersecurity failure among the highest possible risks of this decade. San Jose-based Anish Kosaraju’s invention that secured him a place in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2023 finalists is centered on developing a new method powered by machine learning for enhanced cybersecurity. He developed a model to find the legitimacy of login attempts and prevent the cyber takeovers of accounts that aren’t protected by multi factor authentication. Anish Kosaraju wishes to see himself as a cybersecurity expert in future.
3M Young Scientist Shripriya Kalbhavi, California
A grade-8 student at Joaquin Miller Middle School, Shripriya Kalbhavi from San Jose introduced EasyBZ microneedle patches as an affordable solution for painless medication. An active form of drug delivery, her microneedle patches, Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction-automated, enable the administration of customized doses of medication into the body. Passionate about scientific inventions, especially in the field of medication, Shripriya aspires to become a neurosurgeon. She is also a mathlete and an active participant in math competitions such as Math Kangaroo and AMC8.
3M Young Scientist Anisha Dhoot, Portland
One of the talented Indian American teens competing for ‘America’s Top Young Scientist 2023‘ title is Anisha Dhoot, whose environment-focused project for building a sustainable planet promotes utilization of kelp seaweed to improve soil nutrition and also fight climate change. Anisha Dhoot aspires to become a STEM professional and work on improving the life of people on Earth. “Girls are underrepresented in the STEM field in both high school/college level and later in professional careers and I want to reverse that trend,” says the 14-year-old budding scientist from Portland.