Bihari girl is the first Asian ‘Presidential Scholar’ in US

PATNA — An alumna of Patna’s Notre Dame Academy, Tanya Gupta is the first Asian selected as ‘Merrill Presidential Scholar’ by New York’s Cornell University.
Merrill Presidential Scholars are graduating Cornell seniors who have demonstrated outstanding scholastic achievement, strong leadership ability, and the potential for contributing to society.
Every spring semester, the deans of Cornell’s seven undergraduate colleges select scholars representing the top one percent of graduating seniors, for this honor.
Tanya, 23, is the daughter of Dr Vijay Kumar Gupta and Dr Veena Gupta of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and pursuing Computer Engineering course at Cornell and is due to graduate in May 2009.
The award will be conferred on her on May 20 at a convocation to be held in honour of this year’s 35 Merrill Presidential Scholars.
Cornell will also honour Tanya’s secondary school teacher  as the university acknowledge the high school and faculty members for conveying knowledge to students and for inspiring them.
Post her graduation, Tanya will join software major Apple at its headquarters in California where she will work in its iPhone division.
On completion of her graduation in May, Tanya will join software firm Apple at its headquarters in California where she will work in its iPhone division.
U.S. News and World Report placed Cornell, once called “the first American university” by educational historian Frederick Rudolph, at the top of its rankings for best undergraduate engineering science/engineering physics program. Cornell University has the distniction of of having produced 23 alumni who have been awarded Nobel prize.