Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveAvi Gupta: Indian-American teen revolutionises healthcare with affordable ventilator invention

Avi Gupta: Indian-American teen revolutionises healthcare with affordable ventilator invention

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(September 13, 2023) “I want to take you back to March 2020. The coronavirus had landed in the United States. Social distancing entered into our vocabulary. Schools were closed and store shelves were empty. Against this backdrop, Europe grappled with its first wave of coronavirus. One of the key shortages they faced – ventilators,” that’s how Avi Gupta opens his TedX speech. The Indian American from Portland reveals that the US, especially Oregon, too faced a similar situation with a shortage of hundreds of ventilators for the critically-ill covid patients.

That’s when Oregon Health Authority reached out for help from many individuals and companies, including INTEL. However, it didn’t take the responsibility of designing and manufacturing a ventilator, instead the request was filtered down to the senior staff of the company, one of whom happened to be a manager of Avi at a former internship. That’s how the Stanford University student joined a team of doctors, researchers, and fellow engineers to co-found LifeMech, a non-profit that builds low-cost ventilators. Such has been the impact of his work that he was awarded the Truman Scholarship 2022 for his commitment to public service.

Avi Gupta | Indian American | Global Indian

Avi Gupta played a key role in developing low-cost ventilator

Then an 18-year-old, Avi helped design the ventilator’s user interface, as amid the crisis, “rapid development and deployment of the technology were essential.” Interestingly, he wasn’t just the youngest member of the team but also the reigning Jeopardy Teen Tournament champion. “The original prototype which was fully functional was made in our garages. So, it’s truly something that can be deployed worldwide,” the Global Indian said in an interview.

Avi, who switched to Stanford to pursue his interests in artificial intelligence and public policy after a year of college at Columbia University’s School of Engineering, knew that the prototype had to be scalable in both design and manufacture. But more than anything it had to be “low-cost and open source to be deployed in communities worldwide.” “What it meant that anybody like a doctor or a non-profit in another country could download our designs and code and easily manufacture the ventilator with the parts available in their country,” he added.

Avi Gupta | Global Indian | Indian American

Avi Gupta is currently studying at Stanford University.

Though he found the process of designing the interface stressful, he also found it equally rewarding as it could have a direct impact on someone’s health. Avi, who collaborated with his father, Dr Saurabh Gupta, a cardiologist for the making of the ventilator, said that the project epitomises the work that he wants to do – using technology to solve a bigger problem. “It’s using technology to advance public service,” he told the Stanford Daily. Later, the ventilator was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and used widely during the ventilator shortage.

Apart from this, Avi is also involved in Public Interest in Tech (one of the groups on the Stanford campus) which focuses on fostering conversations around technology’s role in society. Since his school days, Avi has been keen to make a change, so when he won the 2019 Jeopardy Teen Tournament, in honour of the host Alex Trebek, he donated a part of his winnings ($100,000) to raise awareness and fund early pancreatic cancer research. He partnered with OHSU Knight Cancer Institute to create and lead the #InspiredBy campaign, raising over $225,000.

It was in 2016 that he kickstarted his journey towards creating social impact when he founded Project 32, a student-run social startup that uses the power of education to tackle dental diseases in youth. Since its inception, Project32 has provided thousands of dental hygiene kits to children in the US, India, Guatemala, and Haiti.

In his free time, he loves to play chess and basketball and is a huge Portland Trail Blazers fan.

Follow Avi Gupta on Linkedin

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 13, Sep 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

The 50-state quest: How Priya Vulchi unveiled stories of race and identity across America

(January 23, 2024) Soon after graduating from high school, best friends Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi did what Asian immigrants in the US rarely do. They took a gap year. They travelled together to all 50 states of the US, in the hope of educating themselves about race, privilege and oppression. Over 250 days, they interviewed hundreds of people - "The youngest was a toddler, whose role model is Beyoncé, and the oldest is a Japanese immigrant, whose role model is also Beyoncé," they smile, at a TED talk in 2018. Vulchi and Guo are the founders of CHOOSE and back in 2017, developed a textbook, "The Classroom Index," working in collaboration with the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, from where Vulchi also graduated in 2022. Growing up, both Guo and Vulchi had experienced racism and heard stories about it. "At the time, we were like, yes, we get it. Racism, we know." But they didn't know, they admit later. "If you don't go searching for an education on racial literacy, you won't get it," Vulchi remarks. Their understanding, they realised, had always been superficial, because of an inability to truly understand each other's experiences. So, in

experiences. So, in 2014, the Global Indian co-founded CHOOSE, now a registered non-profit, because "we weren't talking about race," they write on the website. "At the same time, we realised that every part of our daily lives - from our neighbourhoods to our friend groups - were shaped by racial division."

[caption id="attachment_35391" align="aligncenter" width="646"] TED Residents Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo speak at TED Photo: Ryan Lash / TED[/caption]

Writing a textbook

They started out by simply listening to people's stories and sharing them on the website. One year later, they compiled the stories; along with "statistics and systematic context," in a 'textbook-toolkit' they called The Classroom Index. "We called our model a bridge for the heart-mind gap," they said. The idea was to encourage people to actually have those discussions, and to get to know each other "at a soul-level," as they put it, rather than just at "an ego level." Besides, they believe, society must invest in an education that “values stories and statistics, the people and the numbers, the interpersonal and the systemic, there will always be a piece missing." Vulchi and Guo were also attempting to create a racial and intersectional literacy curriculum that could be used in schools. "That way, young people like us can grow up not only proud of their backgrounds, but caring about the communities we share. We imagine racial literacy as a 21st century life skill."

The textbook brought Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo so much attention that they landed a book deal with Penguin Random House. That inspired their journey across the US, which they funded on their own through textbook sales, cold-emailing corporates like Airbnb and Greyhound and GoFundMe. Tell Me Who You Are, Priya says, "is not a comprehensive overview of race in America in an academic sense, but our personal journey (and) what it was like meeting these people, purely listening to their stories and capturing them in the pages." They were 17 years old and travelling alone, couch surfing their way across the US. "Our goal was to interview hundreds of people about how race, culture and other parts of their identity have impacted their lives," the duo explains. "People cried, we cried, then we missed our parents and we cried some more," they laugh.

On the road in America

The journey was complex in many ways, from actually planning the trip, to finding themselves in dire situations, like when, in Montana, they were "too scared to interview downtown" because they had heard of white supremacists being around. There was also the emotional toll of hearing so many difficult stories, some of which were truly heartbreaking, like meeting a woman whose daughter had been killed in the Charlottesville protest. Then, in Kansas, they interviewed a man who had been "shot and told 'go back to your own country'." Their biggest challenge, however, was learning to deal with each other.

"Can you imagine living and travelling with a high school friend for 250 days," Guo said, in a talk. They argued a lot, over little things like personal space, or fighting over ointment when they ended up at a place with bedbugs. They realised that despite being best friends, they didn't fully understand each other all the time. In fact, they admitted, as they sat on sidewalks, in coffee shops and in people's homes, they felt close to the strangers they met more than they did to each other.

Discovering themselves - and each other

So, the two friends went back to the beginning, talking about their childhoods, the love they held for their parents but also the "painful cultural disconnect." Vulchi often wondered why her parents never said "I love you," like her friends' folks did, and Guo took a long time to accept that while the cool girls hung out at the country club, she had to spend 10 hours a day learning Mandarin. "We talked about the disgust and suspicion we felt at being fetishised as cute Asian girls, and being seen as naive and weak," Vulchi recalls. They were often lumped together as Asian Americans, when the Chinese American and the Indian American are so different in reality.

[caption id="attachment_35393" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Tell Me Who you Are, by Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo[/caption]

"Only now I was able to validate Priya's experience as the darkest skinned girl in her family," Guo said. "I shouldn't have invalidated this country's long history with Chinese Americans, nor should I have tolerated people telling my friend to edit photos to make her eyes bigger, or her body thinner," Vulchi chimed in. And these are the conversations they want to see happening. "Not the ego conversations like, who you're dating or where you went on vacation, but conversations that happen at the soul-level."

Learn more about Priya Vulchi on the CHOOSE website.

Changing the way we build: Architect Medha Priya is India’s young champion of sustainable infrastructure

(April 20, 2023) The importance of green and sustainable buildings cannot be overstated in the context of today's ever-growing climate crisis. As urbanisation continues to accelerate, the demand for new infrastructure increases, presenting a unique opportunity to shift towards sustainable construction practices that have a lasting positive impact on the environment. One person who is working hard towards this cause, is architect Medha Priya. Making waves in the fight against climate change by championing green and sustainable buildings, the young United Nations champion has dedicated her career to creating eco-friendly structures that not only benefit the environment but also help in reducing energy consumption. "Sustainable architecture can play a crucial role in combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting energy efficiency, and reducing the environmental footprint of buildings," the Global Indian said, while discussing the importance of sustainable building designs, adding, "Sustainable buildings prioritise the use of energy-efficient design strategies and thus reduce the energy demand of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also incorporates design features such as green roofs, living walls, and rain gardens. These features can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve air quality." Discovering a passion for sustainable

ce the energy demand of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also incorporates design features such as green roofs, living walls, and rain gardens. These features can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve air quality."

Discovering a passion for sustainable architecture

The Bengaluru-based architect, who is currently a key member of the United Nation's ‘We The Change’ initiative, had just completed her X standard when an incident shocked her. In April 2013, an eight-story garment factory building called Rana Plaza collapsed in Dhaka, killing 1,132 and injuring more than 2,500 people. The collapse was attributed to poor construction, substandard building materials, and disregard for construction codes. Known as one of the world’s worst industrial accidents owing to irresponsible decision-making and neglect, the incident greatly inspired Medha's career choice.

"I had just completed my board examination when this incident took place. The incident was entirely preventable. At that age, I didn’t know anything about green spaces or sustainability, but all I knew was, someone has to make better spaces for people to live or work in and that was the beginning of my journey." the architect said.

Soon after finishing school, the youngster joined the renowned Birla Institute of Technology to pursue an undergraduate course in architecture. It was while she was working on a college project that the architect realised how much harm unsustainable constructions do to the planet. Explaining her research, she said, "About 37 per cent of greenhouse gases comes out of the construction activity. When I realised how polluting it is to the planet, I decided to work for the environment and help the country make greener infrastructures. I joined one of the sustainability consultancies in Delhi where I got the opportunity to look at the designs of the buildings, approve construction materials and convey strategies to maintain good working conditions for the workers."

Women power and the green movement

Currently pursuing her Masters in Design at the National Institute of Design, Bangalore, the young architect is running a global awareness programme about sustainable infrastructure. The architect is also a vocal champion of women's leadership in the field and has been doing her bit to educate young girls about the current climate crisis with ‘ABC of SDGs’ classes. "If women are represented more in climate action decision-making, it will help mobilise communities and drive social and environmental change, especially at the grassroots level," she said, during a press interaction, adding, "Women are more likely than men to experience the impacts of climate change, particularly in developing countries. They bring unique perspectives and solutions to the climate crisis, drawing on their experiences and knowledge of the communities they live in. By promoting women’s leadership in the climate movement, we can foster new ideas and approaches to addressing the climate crisis."

Spreading the word

The architect, who goes to different colleges and schools now and then only to talk about the climate crisis the world is facing, sustainable development goals, and the need to achieve them for a safe and better world, has a big plan ahead. After completing her masters, she wishes to move ahead and design something which not just benefits a few hundred people living in a building but can help as many people as possible. "As infrastructure is an important sector for the overall development of any country, it is important to regulate and assess upcoming projects for their impact on the environment. I wish to move towards designing solutions that will help people overall," said the champion.

Follow Medha Priya on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins

‘Dhing Express’ Hima Das: The sprinter who is compared with a super-fast train

(October 5, 2022) Sprinter Hima Das created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at a track event at the  IAAF World U20 Championships in 2018 in Finland. Owing to her fantastic sports performances back-to-back, the Assam-born athlete was appointed as the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) under Assam’s state integrated sport policy in 2021. Proud to wear this uniform and fortunate enough to serve my state and my country on two fields. Hima posted on social media, donning her police uniform with pride. The Bannerghatta Biological Park named a tigress cub 'Hima' to honour the sprinter. The youngster also holds the national record for clocking 400 meters in 50.79 seconds at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She is only the second athlete to have done her state proud by bringing home a gold at an international sporting event, after 1940-born Bhogeswar Baruah, who had won gold at the 1966 Asian Games. “I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com. [caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption] Journey of the Dhing Express Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after

aruah, who had won gold at the 1966 Asian Games.

“I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com.

[caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption]

Journey of the Dhing Express

Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after the town near which she was born in Assam. As a child, she aspired to become a football player and loved playing the sport with the boys of her school in the village. However, the physical education teacher of the school identified her talent as a sprinter and motivated her to take it further. Although Hima’s only experience was of running through her village’s muddy rice fields, she followed his advice and as they say, the rest is history!

Born in Kandhulimari village near Dhing, to a farmer couple named Ronjit and Jonali Das, Hima is the youngest of five siblings. She attended Dhing Public High School and later, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. After passing her senior secondary exam in 2019, Hima went on to pursue bachelor of arts in Cotton University, Assam.

[caption id="attachment_22670" align="aligncenter" width="751"] Sprinter on track[/caption]

Eventful achievements in the 18th year of life

2018 was an eventful year for the Global Indian. She won the 400 m final at the IAAF World U-20 Championships held at Tampere, Finland, clocking 51.46 seconds.

Indian track-and-field legend and former Olympian, PT Usha, gave the young athlete a rave review on social media:

Hima was inundated with congratulations from well-wishers across the country, including the president, Prime Minister, sport ministers and Bollywood personalities.

At the 2018 Asian Games, she qualified for the 400 m final, after clocking 51.00 in heat 1. She set a new Indian national record, even though it was the silver that came her way. The same year, the sprinter went on to improve the national record to 50.79 seconds in the 400 m final. 

[caption id="attachment_22696" align="alignnone" width="883"] Hima Das with Sourav Ganguly and Abhishek Bachchan[/caption]

Later, in August 2018, along with M. R. Poovamma, Sarita Gayakwad and V. K. Vismaya, the Dhing Express won women's 4 × 400 metres mix relay clocking 3:28.72 which was held for the first time at the Asian Games. This was the year of Hima’s international debut and not many sport lovers were aware of her. They soon learned, when multiple medals, with some historic ones, made her a household name. Hima was given the Arjuna Award by the President of India that year.

Roaring success with five golds in second year of her debut

Hima continued her superb performances the following year too. In July 2019, she won the 200m gold in Poznan Grand Prix in Poland at 23.65 seconds. She went on to win 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland with a time of 23.97 seconds just after five days of the first win. Within a week of her second win, she bagged her third gold at the Kladno Athletics meet in Czech Republic, clocking 23.43 seconds. That same month, she added a fourth to her kitty, this time at the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with 23.25 seconds. A fifth gold followed at the 400-metre event in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic with 52.09 seconds. In an astonishing 18-day period, between July 2 and July 20 2019, Hima won five golds and became a queen in the hearts of India's athletics fans.

So enormous was her success that the entire world took notice of the sprinting glory. “At this age, she has exhibited great courage and confidence. I didn’t see any sign of nervousness during the events,” remarked the ace sprinter, PT Usha on social media.

The athlete was being slotted for the World Championships to be held at Doha in October 2019 but unfortunately her participation had to be ruled out due to a back injury which kept her out of action for months.

Confidence and hope unaffected by injury

Though she has returned from the injury lay-off, she is returning one step at a time. She has been running 100m and 200m. “I have not cut (off) from running 400 meters. It (recuperating after injury) is a long process,” she said in an interview.

The right side of her back still gives quite a trouble. She has won 100m gold in the National Inter-State Championships with her personal best time of 10.43s.” "My L4 and L5 (two lowest vertebrae in the lumbar spine) were broken and was in a different position. Whenever I run it affects me. I did my physiotherapy and ran 30m, 40m, 50m, 100m and then 200m gradually. Till 300m, I am fine,” she told her eager fans.

The challenge...

The last 100 m of a 400-meter race is the most crucial as the sprinters have to pick a lot of speed, then. This is where Hima has been facing problems. Talking about the condition at a training stint in Poland, she said, “when I did that once I had to be taken to the hospital.” The committed athlete faced the same problem at National Inter-State Championships in Patiala in 2021 and got forced to pull out of the 100 m and 4 X 100 due to the pain. She even had to skip the Tokyo Olympics.

The sprinter was eagerly looking forward to come back with a bang at Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 but coming to the previous form required some more recuperation. She failed to qualify for the finals of the women's 200m in August 2022.

National Games 2022

The 36th National Games of India is being held in Gujarat from September 29 to October 12, 2022. India’s prestigious multi-event sporting competition has returned after a gap of seven years in Gujarat. It was last held in 2015 in Kerala. The nation wanted the ‘Dhing Express’ to come roaring back to action. However, she could not clinch the gold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=970H49AxWfo

She hasn’t lost hope and is looking forward to future events. Hima, is among an elite team of sports stars who have put India on the world map for athletics. She enjoys such a reputation that she will always be India’s ‘star sprinter’.

- Follow Hima Das on Facebook and Instagram

Reading Time: 5 mins

GenZ innovator Arushi Aggarwal brings STEM education from New Jersey to Bihar

(January 13, 2024) Arushi Aggarwal fell in love with programming and robotics when she was 12 years old. What started out with curiosity instantly became a passion, and soon, she was learning robotics, mechanical engineering and programming languages, and attending hackathons. However, she was also quick to spot the inequality within the STEM circles worldwide, and decided to do something about it. It led her to start Unknown16, a non profit that works to bring more young girls into STEM. She also works closely with the state of Bihar, tapping local NGOs there to provide tech education to the less privileged. She's not just another proponent of STEM, however. Unknown16 is made unique by the fact that it encourages its young students to address social challenges, letting them know they can program their way to a better world. In 2023, Arushi, who is a Forbes India Teenpreneur, was invited to the UN as a delegate with the Economic and Social Council's Youth Forum. The GenZ innovator has also developed iBlum, an app that uses gamification to encourage environmental awareness. It motivates individuals and organizations to make eco-friendly choices and community improvements by offering game-like incentives. Businesses participating in iBlum provide

ing in iBlum provide perks for environmentally conscious purchases, aligning their brand with social responsibility and appealing to the values of Gen Z consumers. The app generates customized digital coupons for these businesses, enhancing their appeal among environmentally conscious changemakers.

From hackathons to Unknown16

Arushi, who was born in Hisar, spent a few years in Bengaluru and then moved to the US with her family when she was 10 years old. Life in New Jersey was a far, far cry from what she had known in southern Bihar, and Arushi quickly immersed herself in this new world. When she was 12 years old, she decided to try her hand at coding. "I knew nothing about coding before that and just wanted to try new things," she told Forbes in a podcast. "But after my first year, I fell in love with the concept of building robots from scratch and that's when I continued doing robotics, mechanical (engineering) and programming. That's where my love for programming started."

One year later, in 2016, the Global Indian made it to her first hackathon, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship in Detroit, Michigan. The experience was profound in many ways - this was Arushi's first broad view of STEM around the world. "I met some all girls teams and suddenly, I realised that on my team, out of 16 members, only two were girls. I was curious about why that was," she recalls. After a conversation with a girl coder at the championship, she understood that one reason why girls really don't show up to these big STEM events is a lack of confidence.

"That question led me to start Unknown16," she says. She wanted to help young girls build confidence, so she designed curriculums, workshops and took classes at their local library. "I taught SCRATCH and Python," Arushi says. Her thoughts would often wander back to her homestate, Bihar, where so many young kids grow up without access to technology. She began cold-emailing NGOs back home, introducing herself and sharing her curriculum with them.

Project Lahanti

As Arushi networked with NGOs in India, she discovered Project Lahanti, and collaborated with them to take virtual weekend classes. The initiative was an immediate success and soon, Arushi was teaching classes with anywhere between 150-300 children of all ages from villages like Kumbadih and Govindpur.

Things weren't so straightforward, though, as she soon discovered. All programming languages require a basic understanding of English and her students, even if they were intelligent, curious and enthusiastic, did not speak English. This put STEM textbooks out of reach, too.

"In my world, people have difficulty learning programming, or lack certain resources, that was my perspective. But when I started talking to these kids, I saw their perspective. So I decided to teach them English first before they move on to programming." She began splitting her time between both, teaching English and simultaneously getting students to work with computers. "My family in India really helped out - they donated computers and even went and delivered them," she smiles. "So I was able to get them acquainted with computers and using programs like Excel."

That wasn't all. While her family's donation did bring computers to the area, there were still daily challenges- sketchy WiFi and power cuts. "Whenever it rained, they would lose WiFi," she says, in a tone of total disbelief. "The lack of resources to combat daily life challenges prevents them from taking that step. So our job is to say, it's okay that the barriers exist, we are here to help you overcome them." She was soon working around an 11-hour time difference, and accepting that if the younger kids couldn't make it to class because of bad weather, or any other reason, she would have to hold another session during the week.

A multi-faceted approach

In 2019, Arushi set up a GoFundMe page, to raise funds for textbooks and more technology. She also approached corporates with CSR portfolios, asking them for help. "I learned how to accept a no," she laughs. Getting more volunteers is also crucial. When taking numerous classes during the week became too much, Arushi shifted her focus to the older students. "I teach college students and they teach the others," she explains.

Arushi’s approach to spreading awareness truly makes her unique. Storytelling, for instance, is one approach. She has written several books for tweens, including the Coding Supergirls series, about three girls who solve real world problems using their STEM skills, and developing "powerful, disruptive and cutting-edge ideas along the way." Education and adventure come together in the series, which is meanto entertain and inspire. She is also the organiser of her own hackathon, Code4Cause.

Follow Arushi on Instagram and learn more about Unknown16 on their website.

Shattering boundaries: Illinois student Sirihaasa Nallamothu is an inspiration for young girls

(May 23, 2023) While people her age were busy making trending reels on TikTok, a young teenager from Illinois was busy getting inspired for her next project on the platform. A student of University High School in Normal, Sirihaasa Nallamothu's spirit was ignited by a serendipitous encounter with a TikTok video. She then embarked on a profound journey to research about Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) - which is a condition that causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue - and its elusive association with syncope prediction, including when the patients might faint or blackout. After several weeks of research and study, the Global Indian was able to make a breakthrough, winning the prestigious Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing, which empowers students to pursue computing challenges beyond the traditional classroom environment. Sirihaasa, who has also received a cash prize of $10,000 for her project, is the first person to undertake such a groundbreaking initiative, which in her words, "propelled her into uncharted territory by amassing invaluable human subject field data from individuals afflicted by POTS." But, that's not all that the young student

" rel="noopener">Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing, which empowers students to pursue computing challenges beyond the traditional classroom environment. Sirihaasa, who has also received a cash prize of $10,000 for her project, is the first person to undertake such a groundbreaking initiative, which in her words, "propelled her into uncharted territory by amassing invaluable human subject field data from individuals afflicted by POTS."

But, that's not all that the young student has achieved. Sirihaasa also founded Girls Who Code and Dream Coders clubs at her Middle school, for the other young girls who wanted to have a career in the software industry. Fueled by an unwavering passion for coding, she embarked on a transformative journey, not only as a dedicated instructor but as a visionary architect of a comprehensive coding curriculum that propelled her peers into the realm of technological prowess.

A science prodigy

Born to Telugu immigrants from Andhra Pradesh, Sirihaasa has always been the top student in her class. While she was always inspired by her software engineer parents, it was a school friend, who first introduced the young student to computer science and she was immediately enthralled by the subject. However, a disheartening reality came into focus for a young visionary, making her aware of the major lack of support for girls who wanted to learn to code.

Thank you @NCWITAIC and @BankofAmerica for an amazing award weekend. I’m so honored to have received the national award and represent the @IllinoisCS NCWIT chapter. I’m grateful to have met so many inspiring people! A truly awesome community of women in #tech! pic.twitter.com/4A06Scthbe

— Sirihaasa Nallamothu (@sirihaasa) March 21, 2023

Not the one to give up, Sirihaasa embarked on a remarkable journey, delving deep into the intricacies of coding languages and processes. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python became her companions as she honed her skills, unveiling the boundless potential that lay within her. The young student realised the urgent need to create a programme that would empower young girls in their middle school years, inviting them to explore all facets of computer science. Teaming up with her local library, the student started a groundbreaking computer science programme.

Through the sheer force of her passion, the student undertook the role of a mentor extraordinaire, guiding her eager students along the winding path of coding. Drawing inspiration from the world around her, she orchestrated captivating coding classes, serving as a beacon of knowledge, and illuminating the minds of these young girls. But her impact extended far beyond the confines of the classroom. Interestingly, her programme didn't just impact the other girls, but also their parents, who joined her classes eventually.

The Dream Code Project

In 2021, Sirihaasa started another programming course - the Dream Code Project - teaching girls in grades 5-11 across the country Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java. Aiming to simplify complicated programming languages into easy-to-understand simple lessons, the young student met with the participants once a week for around one-and-a-half to two hours. "I encouraged the girls to reach out to me even after the programme session ended," shares the student, adding, "They asked me various computer science questions and code bugs/errors."

Eventually, the student managed to expand the community and impart the invaluable knowledge of coding to more than 250 young girls, fostering an enriching environment that sparks their intellectual growth. The community also organised bonding sessions, where the participants shared their stories, hobbies, interests, and more. Sirihaasa also exposes girls to role models in STEAM through the Sisterhood Spotlight, so they can see trailblazers in STEM. The youngster received the prestigious Get Involved Award for her initiatives in 2021.

Sirihaasa started researching the POTS in 2022, and after doing substantial research was able to write a Python script to extract the 15-minute window signal data of heart rate, blood volumetric pressure, EDA, temperature, and accelerometer data. According to the Cutler-Bell Prize statement, the young student's research, "is providing a starting point for future research into real-time prediction and integration into a smartwatch, which will help millions who experience vasovagal syncope research a safe and comfortable position before fainting." After finishing her project, Sirihaasa plans to work toward creating a consumer product and pairing her algorithm with a smartwatch.

Follow Sirihaasa Nallamothu on LinkedIn and GitHub