The Davidson Institute for Talent Development recently announced the recipients of its 2019 Davidson Fellow Scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded to 20 students across the U.S. each year. The program offers $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships to students 18 years or younger who have completed projects that could be beneficial in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music.
This year’s winners include Natasha Maniar, 17, of Sunnyvale, Calif.; Neeyanth Kopparapu, 17, of Herndon, Va.; Isha Puri, 18, of Chappaqua, N.Y.; Hiba Hussain, 16, of Old Greenwich, Conn.; and Anna Quinlan, 18, of Ossining, Calif.
“We are proud to announce the 2019 Davidson Fellows Scholarship recipients and applaud them for their hard work and achievement in their fields of study,” founder of the Davidson Institute Bob Davidson said. “By being awarded this recognition, these students have shown immense skill and work ethic, and they should be commended as they continue their educational and research journeys while continuing to work to solve some of the world’s most vexing problems.”
Maniar, who was awarded $50,000, developed a computational approach to identifying sources of atrial fibrillation. Her code identifies AF sources inside the heart with more accuracy than trained experts, according to the Davidson Institute for Talent Development.
“As an avid computer science enthusiast, I’m passionate about the applications of computer science to healthcare,” Maniar said in a news release. “I’m extremely grateful and honored to be named a Davidson Fellow. I’ve always looked up to previous Davidson scholars, and it’s immensely gratifying to be recognized for my work. I’m excited to join the Davidson Fellows community among many inspiring people.”
Kopparapu developed an automatic diagnosis system for early-stage Parkinson’s disease using an MRI scan with a 96.6% accuracy. He developed the diagnosis system after his grandfather received a late Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and was unable to use common medication to treat the disease. He was awarded $25,000 for his diagnostics system.
Puri used a computer’s standard webcam to develop a combination of different machine learning algorithms for eye tracking. The algorithms can predict if a child has a higher risk of dyslexia with 90.18% accuracy. Puri was awarded $25,000 for their work.
Hussain developed a system that detects chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) breath biomarkers using near field communication technology and a smartphone application. The application gives results in minutes and uses existing technology to better COPD detection. Hussain was awarded $10,000 for her work.
Quinlan built a closed-loop insulin pump using low-cost, 3D-printed components to better manage Type 1 and 2 diabetes. Quinlan also received $10,000 for their work.
The Davidson Institute will hold a reception for the winners in Washington D.C. on Sept. 27.
