Gitanjali Rao, a first-year student at MIT, was honored at the inaugural Girls Leading Change celebration at the White House on October 11, which also marks the International Day of the Girl.
The White House Gender Policy Council has selected 15 young women for their work as leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, authors, climate change activists and health care advocates. First Lady Jill Biden recognized the group at the celebration and thanked them for their hard work, accomplishments and progress in creating positive change in their communities and across the country.
Rao, from Lone Tree, Colorado, was nominated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his work in promoting science and innovation among local and global youth and inspiring them through multiple inventions.
Prior to the ceremony, the honorees had the opportunity to network and spend an evening bowling at the White House Bowling Alley. They also visited the White House, where First Lady Biden took them to a garden where they picked flowers to create bouquets for the ceremony.
“Dr. Biden is very down-to-earth and connected to the community. This event was her idea because she wants to see social change happen,” Rao said, adding, “I care about STEM, and there is a connection between STEM and climate change Overlaps, including pollution of natural resources. Teen mental health overlaps with gun violence and many other things. We are both interested in the lack of education for women, especially in third world countries.”
“Now I plan to major in bioengineering and minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. MIT is my dream school. I have really grown up on campus and in the lab over the past few months,” Rao said. “My dream is to work on developing solutions to some of the most complex problems in our community and possibly one day run a biotech company.”
Rao is no stranger to inventing, conducting research, and developing projects that make the world a better place. Her inventions include “Tethys,” a patented solution to warn of lead in drinking water, and a service called “Kindly,” which uses artificial intelligence and neurolinguistic programming to help stop cyberbullying on social media , and “Epione” (an early education device). Diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction.
She is also the author of two books: The Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM: 5 Steps to Solving Problems for Students, Educators, and Parents (currently available in five languages worldwide) and The Young Innovator’s Guide to Successful Planning Will launch in June 2024.
Before applying to MIT, Rao conducted research at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, There she developed a system that could deliver drugs to cancerous tumors more quickly. She also conducted research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
“The Koch and Broad Institute is an amazing place. I love working there. There are so many smart, dedicated people who all have a common goal, which is to solve some of the biggest problems around us,” Rao said.
Rao’s extraordinary achievements have landed her on the time At 15 years old, he became the first “Kid of the Year” in 2020.
Rao looks forward to further exploring MIT. She will soon launch an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program project in the lab of Professor Manolis Kelis at the Broad Institute. After meeting MIT professor Robert Lange at a conference in Florida, she was inspired to work at a biotech company the next summer.
“Dr. Lange is one of the best people I have ever met, and his constant encouragement means a lot to me. I wish I could have been involved in some of the groundbreaking work that organizations like Moderna are doing,” Rao said.
In his free time, Rao enjoys playing the piano and, having recently obtained his pilot’s license, flying a glider. She loves music, is a big fan of Taylor Swift, and hopes to join the fencing team.
Speaking of her time in the White House, Rao said: “I met incredible women who wanted to change the world. Everyone was passionate about what they were doing. They are people I would love to work with in the future.”