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World Science Scholars Announces 2021 Cohort

Exceptional Students From Around the World Gear Up for New Challenges and Opportunities

New York, NY, November 1, 2021 — The World Science Scholars (WSS) program, an initiative of the World Science Festival, announces its newest and largest class, with 48 young Scholars from 16 countries. These exceptionally talented mathematical minds will have an unparalleled opportunity to apply their abilities to unexplored disciplines. Led by world-renowned experts, Scholars examine the ways that advanced mathematics skills can be applied to solve complex challenges in a wide range of multidisciplinary fields.

“We bring together some of the most talented math students in the world and show them where their skills can take them beyond pure mathematics,” said World Science Festival Co-Founder and CEO Tracy Day. “WSS is designed to ignite curiosity, expand perspectives, and create an enduring community of young scholars that is mutually supportive and has expertise to tackle the world’s most significant challenges.”

The Scholars will begin a two-year journey of learning and discovery with WSS faculty, including Nobel and Breakthrough Prize winners, best-selling authors, and experts working at the cutting edge of their fields. Faculty members include renowned physicist and author Brian Greene, pioneering cardiologist and evolutionary biologist Barbara Naterson-Horowitz, trailblazing computer scientist Stephen Wolfram, Breakthrough Prize winner Cumrun Vafa, innovative biochemist Mandë Holford, Nobel Laureate Barry Barish, and many more.

Scholars take advanced, self-paced courses with interactive demonstrations, exercises, discussions, and video lectures. They collaborate on projects, attend virtual lab tours, and have the unique opportunity to interact directly with these unmatched experts and teaching fellows through riveting lectures and live virtual discussions. Scholars also join a vibrant and supportive online community that encourages discussion, debate, and collaboration among the students, enabling them to forge lifelong connections with their peers.

Ranging in age from 11-17, the Scholars bring a variety of interests and accomplishments, in addition to their exceptional academic abilities. The new cohort includes top math and science competition winners, as well as a winner of the Scholastic Lexus Eco Challenge Competition for a smart greywater filtration system, a student who founded a national STEM education organization that has provided of 10,000 free courses in 28 states, and another who is researching a novel automated pediatric-powered exoskeleton.

The World Science Scholars program is made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Students are nominated for WSS by the World Science Festival’s network of organizations and educational institutions or can apply directly to the program. The program’s broad, multifaceted approach identifies students from diverse communities regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and location. For students with innate, exceptional abilities who may lack the means to access resources that will help them reach their potential, WSS’ free high-quality digital, interactive programming can be a life-changing experience.

With the program now in its fourth year, the 2021 cohort brings the total number of Scholars to 150 students from 25 countries, with 74 active Scholars and 76 alumni. Upon completion of the program, Scholars become members of a growing alumni network who maintain bonds, help support future cohorts by serving as mentors, and provide informal college advice to new Scholars. Through the growing alumni network and mentorship opportunities, students are able to create an educational and social community of talented individuals that will extend well into the future.

The chart below presents the 2021 cohort of World Science Scholars.

NAME AGE LOCATION SCHOOL
Abhinav Gurram 15 Morrisville, NC Green Hope High School
Achyuta Rajaram 14 Sharon, MA Phillips Exeter Academy
Akanksha Acharya 16 Katy, TX Seven Lakes High School
Aman Burman 17 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai College
Ana Anariba 15 Tegucigalpa, Honduras DelCampo School
Anish Mudide 16 Acton, MA Phillips Exeter Academy
Anouksha Bansal 15 Chandler, AZ BASIS Chandler
Anthony Lee 16 Chestnut Hill, MA Milton Academy
Arnav Goel 15 Chicago, IL Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Chigozirim Ifebi 15 Elmont, NY Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High School
Christopher Gilbert 14 Cumberland Foreside, ME Greely High School
Duru Korkmaz 15 Istanbul, Turkey Bilfen Uskudar Science High School
Ethan McHugh 15 Chicago, IL Northside College Preparatory High School
Hei Man Ng 16 Hong Kong Phillips Exeter Academy
Hannah Guan 15 San Antonio, TX Basis San Antonio Shavano
Harshitha Jasti 15 Charlotte, NC Ardrey Kell High School
Hrishikesh Shah 16 Gujarat, India G. D. Goenka International School, Surat
Jacob Mark 16 Marietta, Georgia The Weber School
Jahwin James 15 Akwa Ibom, Nigeria Bright Stars Model Secondary School
José Núñez Sánchez 15 Málaga, Spain Nuestra Señora de la Victoria -Málaga
Katherine Xu 17 Dublin, OH Dublin Jerome High School
Kevin Zhu 16 Westbury, NY Jericho Senior High School
Mahir Labib 15 Uttara, Bangladesh Rajuk Uttara Model College
Mao Kobayashi 16 Kawasaki, Japan Senzoku Gakuen and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Margaux Wong 14 Hillsborough, CA The Nueva School
María de los Ángeles Delgado Álvarez 15 Aragón, Spain Salesianos Huesca
Marvin Martinez 16 Cochabamba, Bolivia Hughes Schools
Megan Davi 16 Reno, NV Davidson Academy
Michal Lipiec 16 Cracow, Poland The August Witkowski 5th High School
Miguel Secillano 11 Ocala, FL Howard Middle School
Monica Sing 16 Phnom Penh, Cambodia International School of Phnom Penh
Mritika Senthil 16 Tega Cay, SC South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
Nandana Madhukara 14 San Diego, CA Canyon Crest Academy
Omar Suazo 14 Tegucigalpa, Honduras Macris School
Owen Isaacs 16 Queensland, Australia Hillbrook School
Paridhi Latawa 16 Austin, TX Liberal Arts and Science Academy
Rafeek Cherradi 15 Mundelein, IL Mundelein High School
Raymond Tsao 16 Taipei, Taiwan Kang Chiao International School
Razzi Masroor 15 Toledo, OH Detroit Country Day School
Rhea Werner 15 Victoria, Australia St Catherine’s School
Rohan Mehta 16 Whitehouse Station, NJ Moravian Academy
Rushank Goyal 15 Bhopal, India 7i World School
Shubhaankar Gupta 15 New Delhi, India Delhi Public School – R.K. Puram
Sooraj Sahani 16 Parsa, Nepal National Infotech College
Tsz Shing Abraham Yeung 15 Hong Kong Eton College
Varun Gadi 12 Johns Creek, GA Fulton Science Academy
Vishak Srikanth 15 Sunnyvale, CA Basis Independent Silicon Valley
Yu-Ting Chang 15 Palo Alto, CA Henry M. Gunn High School