Progress Announces Recipient of the Akanksha Scholarship for Women in STEM

Soumya Teotia is the third recipient of the award, which supports the advancement of women in STEM in India.

We’re excited to announce the 2023 recipient of our Akanksha Scholarship for Women in STEM: Soumya Teotia, a student at BITS Pilani in Hyderabad, India.

Part of our Women in STEM Scholarship Series, the Akanksha Scholarship is a four-year, $2,000 per-year renewable scholarship for an Indian woman pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science, software engineering, IT or computer information systems.

“As a global company, our efforts to diversify the tech industry should be far-reaching, as different perspectives are vital to the growth and success of the field,” said Yogesh Gupta, CEO, Progress. “This is our third year selecting a scholarship recipient in India, and once again I’m proud that the winner, Soumya Teotia, has an inspiring passion for STEM and a strong commitment to help others. It’s very rewarding that Progress plays a small part in the professional journeys of our scholarship winners, and I look forward to following Soumya’s progression and contributions to the field.” 

Soumya is currently enrolled in a five-year dual-degree program, studying both computer science and mathematics. She’s had a passion for STEM since childhood, first falling in love with math and later discovering coding.

“I was always interested in technology,” Soumya said in a recent interview with Yogesh Gupta, CEO. “It gave me immense pleasure to solve mathematical problems. Later on, I became interested in computer science. I started coding, and I found that the fun you have when solving programming problems is the same fun you have when solving math problems.”

In addition to interning at the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Soumya has led multiple projects related to machine learning, web development and data structures and algorithms (DSA). She also achieved bronze in the International Award for Young People (IAYP), issued by the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Association.

“Presently, my area of interest is machine learning and artificial intelligence, specifically computer vision,” Soumya told Yogesh. “I have a plan of working on the intersection of medicine and computer vision so that I can improve diagnoses and healthcare. If you use the power of artificial intelligence, it can do wonders.”

Outside of her academic pursuits, Soumya is an active member of her community. She volunteers with the National Service Scheme (NSS) and is a member of Enactus BITS Hyderabad, a network of leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social impact.

Soumya plans to leverage her interest in artificial intelligence and machine learning to help others. We’re proud to support her in her academic career, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the future.

“I am determined to explore the fields of machine learning and AI to the fullest extent,” said Soumya. “I hope to contribute to the development of novel applications, advancing the boundaries of technology and its potential to improve lives. Through the use of ML and AI I want to create solutions that can have a meaningful impact on society.” 

Congratulations, Soumya!