The Governor’s STEM Scholars has named two East Brunswick High School students to its 2023 Scholars class.
Krithik Ashokkumar and Megan Tseng are part of a 2023 Scholars class that consists of 128 scholars from 20 counties across the state.
Students of color make up 83% of this year’s scholars and 64% of the class identifies as female, according to the Governor’s STEM Scholars (GSS).
“The Governor’s STEM Scholars provides high-achieving New Jersey STEM students in grades 10 through doctoral level with an introduction to the state’s vast STEM economy to retain that talent in the state,” GSS said.
Krithik Ashokkumar is a junior at East Brunswick High School. A math enthusiast, he completed the Kumon math program at 14, which certified his mastery of advanced concepts such as differential calculus and advanced integration. With a passion for providing underprivileged youth with STEM and educational opportunities, he served as the Northeast Regional Head for spikeview, a startup that helps kids discover educational opportunities worldwide. He was also a public relations intern at the National STEM Honor Society (NSTEM), where he helped cultivate student excellence in STEM. He is currently the director of entrepreneurship at Efforts for Youth Development in Bangladesh (EYDB), in which he leads a team of interns to propagate the importance of further education among struggling Bangladeshi youth. Krithik works as a part-time Kumon assistant, tutoring math to middle and high school students twice a week. He enjoys writing in his free time and has been published in several anthologies and won many awards for his works. In the future, he wishes to pursue an impactful career in medicine and help expand access to healthcare worldwide.
Megan Tseng is a senior at East Brunswick High School. Recently, she conducted research on building microfluidic systems for the study of protein aggregation under customized total internal reflection microscopy. In the past, she has extracted, analyzed, and published samples of DNA from a plant genome, and designed techniques for chemically separating microplastics from drinking water. At her school, she is president of the Science Honor Society and Science Olympiad team, vice president of a student-led bioinformatics research program, and mechanical lead on her FIRST Robotics Competition team. Megan is an EMT (emergency medical technician) and volunteers for two local rescue squads, as well as a pediatric hospital. Beyond her interest in biomechanical engineering, Megan is the student representative to her district’s Board of Education and hopes to use her platform to advocate for STEM education and opportunities. She aspires to become a bioengineer and continue her goal of solving societal issues through engineering. Outside academics, Megan is a competitive swimmer on her high school varsity and local club teams.
GSS introduces scholars to New Jersey’s STEM economy with a public-private partnership among the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, the New Jersey Office of the Governor, the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, and the state’s leading research companies.
The scholars are able to do this through master classes, research work, quarterly symposiums and field trips.
The program conducts four weekend conferences in the academic year, which allows for the scholars to engage with state STEM professionals.
In order to graduate from the program scholars must attend all of the four conferences and take part in a research project as a team member or a team leader.
When the students graduate in May 2023, they will join an alumni cohort of over 700 Scholars.