Indian American teen becomes one of world’s youngest to earn PhD
By Bryan Ke
June 8, 2023
Dr. Tanishq Mathew Abraham is set to become one of the world’s youngest Ph.D. holders when he graduates from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), on June 15.
“Incredible” achievement: In a statement, Jean-Pierre Delplanque, vice provost and dean of graduate studies at UC Davis, praised Abraham, 19, for his achievement, saying that completing a doctoral degree was already an “exceptional accomplishment,” but in Abraham’s case, “to have already reached this milestone at such a young age is incredible,” according to The Sacramento Bee.
Becoming a doctor: Abraham, who will receive his doctorate in biomedical engineering this quarter, became a doctor after he successfully defended his dissertation in May, announcing in a tweet: “After 4 years 8 months in the @UCDavisGrad @UCDavisBMEGG graduate program, I am now Dr. Tanishq Mathew Abraham (at 19 years old)!!”
Abraham’s Ph.D. program reportedly focused on the development of AI systems used in diagnostic pathology.
The ceremony: The teenager’s 90-year-old grandmother, Dr. Thankam Mathew, will be attending the graduation ceremony next week along with Abraham’s 17-year-old sister, who earned her music degree at UC Davis last year and is now in her second year of a Master of Music program at Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music.
Starting young: Homeschooled by his veterinarian researcher mother and software engineer father in Sacramento, California, Abraham enrolled in part-time college courses at the age of 7. He graduated from high school at 10 years old and graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering from UC Davis when he was 14 years old.
His inspiration: Abraham said he was inspired by his late grandfather, veterinary researcher Dr. Zachariah Mathew, and his grandmother, who reportedly became the first Indian woman veterinarian to receive a Ph.D. in the 1960s.
What’s next: In a statement, Abraham noted that the world is now “in the AI revolution,” and he wants to “continue to be a part of it.”
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