WASHINGTON: Two Indian-American women have been selected along with 14 others, for the prestigious White House Fellow Programme that offers a first-hand experience of working with the US federal government. Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among those selected from all over the state.
A Pulmonary and Critical Care physician-scientist, Shah, recently completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Chicago, where she redesigned the care cycle for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, prompting a reduction in hospital re-admissions. A recipient of the inaugural UC Innovations Grant, she has also led an inter-professional research team to evaluate this value-based care delivery programme.
Meanwhile Tripathi, an astrophysicist, focuses on the formation and evolution of planets. She has pioneered the characterisation of planet forming environments and developed the first 3D simulations of planets evaporating due to extreme atmospheric heating. She was also associated in modelling the Milky Way and the search for dark matter. She received her MPhil in Astronomy from Cambridge University, and is set to receive her PhD in Astronomy from Harvard.
The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by President Lyndon B Johnson to provide promising American leaders with a "first hand, high level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs." Selection as a White House Fellow is usually very competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government.
