Achyuta Rajaram Wins Prestigious Regeneron Science Talent

Photo: Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search top three finalists (from left to right) Achyuta Rajaram, with second place winner Thomas Cong and third place awardee Michelle Wei. Achyuta won $250,000.

India-West Staff Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC – Achyuta Rajaram, 17, of Exeter, NH, has been named the winner of won the top award in the Regeneron Science Talent Sea Achyuta Rajaram  2024, America’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and the Society for Science said forty finalists, including Achyuta, were honored on March 12 during an award ceremony emceed by American Broadcaster Soledad O’Brien. More than $1.8 million was awarded to the finalists, who were selected from among the largest entrant pool since the 1960s through a holistic evaluation process.

Achyuta won first place and $250,000 for developing an automatic method to discover which parts of a computer model are involved in decision-making. This knowledge sheds light on what these algorithms are “thinking,” which can help make them more effective, fair and safe.

Achyuta is the  son of Nivedita Chevvakula and Rajaram Ramaswamy Kumaraswamy. He attends Phillips Exeter Academy, where he is co-head of the physics, chemistry, and chess clubs. His passion for jazz drumming has led him to play in groups ranging from small combos to symphonic orchestras.

In ninth place was Arnav Chakravarthy, 18, of Cupertino, CA who received a $50,000 award for comparing the genetic origins of a type of immune cell, known as macrophages, in the brain, liver and bone marrow to learn more about how they replenish themselves. Most cells could be traced back to their embryonic beginnings, however, Arnav found evidence that certain brain cells may also be replenished from our bone marrow as we age. His findings may shed light on future targeted therapies for age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Aditi Avinash, 17, of Highlands Ranch, CO, was named the Seaborg Award winner and given the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Regeneron Science Talent Search Class of 2024. The 40 finalists chose Aditi as the student who most exemplifies their class and the extraordinary attributes of nuclear chemist Glenn T. Seaborg, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1951 and served on the Society’s Board of Trustees for 30 years.