63rd Annual STS (2003-2004)
Finalists
Rohini Subhadra Rau-Murthy

NEW YORK
Rohini Subhadra Rau-Murthy, 17, of Yorktown Heights, entered a behavioral and social sciences project in the Intel Science Talent Search that studied stereotypes pertaining to math and gender-related performance, primarily the long-held view that males are better at math than females, and its effect upon actual math test scores. Rohini claims to be one of the first to test two major theories simultaneously at the high school level. Her study suggests that women perform better than expected on math tests when they do not remind themselves they are the gender traditionally viewed as the poorer performers. Rohini hopes further study will recalibrate self- and societal perceptions about gender-based math performance. Long-term benefits would support young women, ideally increasing their pursuit of math-related studies and representation in the math and science workforce. A tennis player at Yorktown High School, Rohini plays piano, clarinet and is fluent in French and Kannada. Her classical Indian dance performances have received critical acclaim in the United States and India. The daughter of Dr. Seshashayee Murthy and Nalini Rau, Rohini hopes to study biochemistry at Harvard.