Young scientist to watch: Gitanjali Rao

Gitanjali Rao made headlines around the world in December 2020 when Time magazine named her its first-ever Kid of the Year. PHOTO: TIME
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Gitanjali Rao, 15, made headlines around the world last December when Time magazine named her its first Kid of the Year. It is the latest in a dizzying list of accolades for the Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) advocate.

At age 12, she was named "America's top young scientist" in the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for a device that detects lead in water faster than conventional methods, an invention sparked by a desire to help water contamination victims.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 08, 2021, with the headline Young scientist to watch: Gitanjali Rao. Subscribe