Thomas Jefferson High Student Wins 'STEM Catalyst' Award

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the Science Museum of Virginia’s Chief Wonder Officer Richard C. Conti Thursday announced the recipients of Virginia’s 2017 Outstanding STEM Awards. Recognizing excellence in science for over 30 years, these annual awards celebrate statewide efforts to strengthen the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in STEM fields.

Rohan Suri, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, took home the STEM Catalyst award.

“It is an honor to continue the tradition of celebrating professionals, businesses and citizens who have made significant contributions to cutting-edge STEM disciplines,” said McAuliffe. “These winners represent Virginia’s dedication to the academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit we need to remain competitive nationally globally and build the new Virginia economy.”

The scientific contributions of academics, organizations and students are honored in four distinct and prestigious award categories: Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist, Science Innovation, STEM Catalyst and STEM Phenom.

“The individuals we honor for their exciting accomplishments in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines are the future of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Education Dietra Trent. “We congratulate their achievements and successes, and encourage even more citizens to follow in their footsteps to pursue careers in high-demand fields.”

“The accomplishments of this year’s honorees improve our quality of life - from sustainability efforts to understanding our origins to developing breakthrough technologies that save lives,” said Richard C. Conti. “Their cumulative work is awe-inspiring and the Museum is proud to celebrate the enormous efforts these individuals put forward to advancing our global well-being.”

The six honorees will receive their awards at the Science Museum of Virginia on the evening of Thursday, February 23. The Virginia’s Outstanding STEM Awards ceremony is made possible by the generous support of Altria.

The STEM Catalyst award is given to a Virginia citizen whose passion, ingenuity and efforts inspire others to recognize the power of STEM to improve our world.

Rohan Suri is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Suri has developed computational models and mobile applications to better understand and create solutions to real-world issues. From tracking the outbreak of an infectious disease to diagnosing concussions based on eye movements, Suri’s prototypes rely on his strong background in coding and computer science.

Suri developed the mobile application, Averia, to detect human head trauma by using an iPhone’s rear-facing camera. The diagnostic app and companion headset tracks a patient’s eyes while they follow a visual stimulus on the screen. The phone records the user’s eyes and uses computer vision algorithms to track the pupil and determine if vision impairment is present in the athlete. Averia has already been utilized at local high schools and a pediatric clinic as part of a pilot program to aid youth sports injuries.

Suri’s startup earned a spot as one of 12 finalists in the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation’s pitch competition at the 4th annual Pediatric Surgical Innovation Symposium. Suri plans to continue clinical and field trials of his prototype and raise money to bring his device to the market. In college, he hopes to study computer science and continue innovating at intersection of Healthcare and Technology.

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