Rajarshi Mandal, 16, of Lexington, has been awarded a $50,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship for the science project, Ordinary Differential Equation Modeling of Malaria Transmission Dynamics for Optimized ITN Allocation Strategies. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for students 18 and younger.

“I am honored to be named a Davidson Fellow,” Mandal said. “Joining a community of ambitious young researchers means a lot, and it encourages me to keep working on problems where better decisions save lives.”

For his project, Mandal created a malaria transmission simulation that accounts for three major factors contributing to outbreaks: insecticide resistance, seasonal surges and the declining effectiveness of insecticide treated nets over time. He then developed a system to determine where those nets could be deployed most effectively. In his analysis, Mandal found that with the same number of nets, his allocation method prevented twice as many cases as current practices by identifying opportunities for critical deployments rather than focusing primarily on population.

Mandal, a rising high school junior, plans to continue his education in advanced mathematics and computing. He also enjoys playing piano and has performed twice at Carnegie Hall.

“The Davidson Fellows continue to demonstrate what young people can accomplish when curiosity, determination and innovation come together,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “The 2026 Fellows have pursued challenging questions and developed meaningful work with the potential to make a lasting difference in their fields and communities. We are proud to recognize their extraordinary achievements.”

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offers college scholarships to students 18 or younger who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship has provided more than $11.4 million in scholarship funds to 490 students since its inception in 2001, and has been named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report. It is a program of the Davidson Institute, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Reno, Nev., that supports profoundly gifted youth.

About the Davidson Institute

Founded by Bob Davidson in 1999, the Davidson Institute recognizes, nurtures and supports profoundly intelligent young people and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. The Institute offers support through a number of programs and services, including the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and the Davidson Academy of Nevada. For more information about the 2026 Davidson Fellows, please visit: DavidsonFellows.org.

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