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.”
