Boominathan, 16, is set to enter MIT.
By Raif Karerat
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WASHINGTON, DC: A 16-year-old Indian American chemistry prodigy is slated to represent the United States as part of a four-student team at the 47th International Chemistry Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan from July 20 to 29.
Soorajnath Boominathan recently graduated from the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) and is thrilled about the prospect of representing the nation the adopted him at the global competition.
“I think that is the most amazing part of this whole experience, representing my country. It is hard to put into words what this means,” Boominathan was quoted as saying by Oklahoma-based news website NewsOK.com.
The competition consists of two exams that can last as long as five hours each and need to be attended on separate days.
Subjects include organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and biochemistry, according to the Indian Panorama, and Boominathan is studying as much as eight hours a day in preparation for the rigorous tests.
“There’s a lot of reading you have to do outside of college-level textbooks, so that makes it more challenging,” he said.
The son of Boominathan Balasubramaniyan and Mangayarkarassy Thiagarajan, the junior Boominathan was born in India but has lived in Oklahoma for the past decade, and will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.
His mentor, Fazlur Rahman, a chemistry professor at OSSM, called Boominathan one of the top chemistry students in the nation.
“Sooraj has much to celebrate. I think he has all the elements and ingredients to be a great scientist,” Rahman said, reported PTI.
Boominathan set a milestone as the youngest OSSM student chosen to attend the Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy two years in a row.
Only 20 finalists from across the country are invited to the study camp and in June, the finalists competed for one of four spots on the U.S. traveling team with Boominathan coming out on top.
According to the Edmonson Sun, other U.S. team members include David Wang of Monta Vista High School, in Cupertino, Calif., Bryce Cai of Barrington High School, in Barrington, Ill., and Janice Ong of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, in Alexandria, Va.