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Indian-origin students recognized as CAS Future Leaders
The honor will equip selected early-career scientists with leadership skills through an in-person program in August.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Sat, 21, Mar 2026
- 04:14 EDT
- 24
Tarisha Gupta, Anjali Gurajapu, Nishu Kanwa, Racchana Ramamurthy, Nitesh Sanghai and Vishal Yadav / Tarisha Gupta, Nishu Kanwa, Racchana Ramamurthy, Nitesh Sanghai and Vishal Yadav via LinkedIn and Hertz foundation
Multiple Indian-origin students have been chosen as 2026 CAS Future Leaders, CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, announced on March 19.
Among the awardees are Tarisha Gupta, Anjali Gurajapu, Nishu Kanwa, Racchana Ramamurthy, Nitesh Sanghai and Vishal Yadav. The honor will equip selected early-career scientists with leadership skills to shape the future of science, CAS said in a statement.
CAS, which specializes in scientific knowledge management, published a list of 31 students selected from a competitive global applicant pool. The new cohort of early-career scientists conducts research across areas such as cheminformatics, synthetic biology and materials science.
Participants will attend leadership and career development workshops, learn about mentorship from industry leaders, participate in scientific discourse and forge connections with fellow scientists during the in-person program in August.
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Tarisha Gupta, a Ph.D. scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, is also a Prime Minister’s Research Fellow. She currently serves as a visiting researcher at the University of Lincoln, England.
Vishal Yadav, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University, was also recognized as a Future Leader. An IIT Bombay alumnus, Yadav holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University.
Speaking about the achievement, Yadav said, “This recognition feels especially meaningful because it highlights something I care deeply about—leadership. For me, that has meant building community, mentoring across different backgrounds and helping create spaces where people can show up fully in science.”
Also on the list is Dr. Nishu Kanwa, a Netherlands-based R&D scientist at Radboud University. Kanwa holds a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Indore and a master’s degree in chemistry from Miranda House, University of Delhi.
Racchana Ramamurthy, a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University, was also recognized as a Future Leader by CAS. Ramamurthy holds a master’s degree from Ghent University and a B.Tech. from Anna University in Chennai.
The list also featured Nitesh Sanghai, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba. Sanghai is currently an ALS Canada community ambassador and a NEALS research ambassador.
Speaking about his achievement, Sanghai said, “From being a first-generation high school student to being selected as a 2026 #CASFutureLeader, I never imagined this journey would lead me here.”
He continued, “Through this opportunity, I aspire to humanize science by connecting authentically with scientific leaders around the world with the intention to listen, learn, collaborate and amplify scientific voices for a positive impact on human lives.”
Caltech Ph.D. candidate Anjali Gurajapu was also named among the awardees. She is currently researching machine learning for organic chemistry at Caltech and is also an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley.
Peter Carlton, CAS Future Leaders program director, hailed the winners and said, “We are proud to support early-career scientists who want to strengthen their leadership and communication skills.”
He added, “The strong interest in this year’s program reflects the value scientists see in developing capabilities that amplify their impact in their fields.”
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