19-year-old student to receive Ph.D. after starting community college at age 7
A 19-year-old student at the University of California, Davis will receive his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, after beginning classes at a local community college at just 7 years old.
Tanishq Mathew Abraham was first admitted to the university at 12 years old to pursue his undergraduate degree, reports NBC News. Now, after a successful defense of his dissertation last month, he is set to receive his Ph.D. credentials on June 15.
“Very excited to share the news that I successfully defended my PhD research today!” the Sacramento native tweeted in May. “I am now Dr. Tanishq Mathew Abraham (at 19 years old)!!”
“Wouldn’t have done it without the love and support of my family,” he continued. “Mom, who gave up her PhD to homeschool us. Dad, who juggled hectic days of work for me to achieve my dreams. Sis, who made the stressful days less stressful with her jokes. 90-yr-old grandma w/ PhD who inspired me
Abraham’s focus has been on the use of deep learning AI in microscopy techniques for digital pathology, which he researched at the UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, according to his website.
He previously received his bachelor’s of science at the UC Davis College of Engineering when he was 14 years old, after starting community college classes at 7 and graduating high school at 10.
The university congratulated the young grad, posting a picture of Abraham ringing the bell, a tradition for students at UC Davis who complete their Ph.D. programs.
At just 4 years old, Abraham joined MENSA, a high-IQ society which requires members to qualify in the upper 2% on an approved intelligence test.
Abraham now joins a historic list of the youngest people ever to earn a doctorate degree.
According to Guinness World Records, the youngest-ever Ph.D. recipient was a German 13-year-old named Karl Witte, who received his degree in 1814.
