4. Ruth Lawrence – 17
In 1985, at the tender age of 13, Ruth Lawrence graduated from Oxford University with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. The next year, she got a second degree, this time in Physics, which was followed by a PhD in Mathematics in 1989 when she was just 17. After spending some time at Harvard as a junior fellow and working at the University of Michigan as an associate professor, Lawrence moved to Israel. There, she became an associate professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Although Lawrence has gained recognition for her work in algebraic topology and knot theory, she has hinted at a sense of regret over the childhood years that were lost to academia and has said that she will not put her child through the same rigorous studies. “I was not in their shoes,” says Lawrence of her parents. “I very much appreciate the effort my father put in. I am enormously grateful for what he did for me. I can see now that being a parent is very difficult.” Fortunately, most graduate students won’t face the same challenges, pressures and media attention Lawrence did.
3. Balamurali Ambati – 17
Indian-American ophthalmologist and academic Balamurali Ambati was doing calculus when he was four years old and co-authored a research book on AIDS when he was 11. At 13, he completed his studies at New York University. And in 1995, when he was 17, he graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, effectively becoming the world’s youngest doctor (and a Guinness World Record holder). Ambati completed all his medical training by the age of 24, making him an anomaly in the medical profession – as most doctors don’t finish their instruction until their early to mid 30s.
Ambati is happy with his hard work, suggesting that finishing his training early has given him time for other life experiences. Clearly, the proper motivation is key, and Ambati’s studies have certainly paid off. He says he loves his career and is very happy as an ophthalmologist. “You see all kinds of diseases, you do exquisite surgery, you see patients of all ages – in what other field could I be a transplant surgeon, a prosthetic surgeon, an emergency surgeon, do international and overseas work? I conduct wonderful research as well. It’s really a very nice combination.”
2. Kim Ung-Yong – 15
Imagine being a guest student at a university when you’re three years old and being invited to do research for NASA when you’re eight. It’s pretty hard to wrap your mind around. Yet South Korean former child prodigy Kim Ung-Yong doesn’t have to imagine; for him, it was a reality. Still, Kim’s 10 years at NASA weren’t exactly happy ones. He says, “I led my life like a machine – I woke up, solved the daily assigned equation, ate, slept, and so forth. I really didn’t know what I was doing, and I was lonely and had no friends.” He also missed his mother.
Although Kim, born in 1963, earned his PhD at the astoundingly young age of 15 and appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the “Highest IQ,” he is quick to point out that academic success is not always the measure of a person. “Society should not judge anyone with unilateral standards – everyone has different learning levels, hopes, talents, and dreams and we should respect that.”
Kim, who currently works at Chungbuk National University, says he’s doing what he really wants to do. He’s happy, and in the end, that’s what really counts.
1. Karl Witte – 13
Born in 1800, Karl Witte was the son of an educational author who is said to have put his hypotheses to work on his son. His father’s methods appear to have been successful, though. When he was nine, Witte could speak five languages; and incredibly, this prodigy was awarded his doctorate degree in Philosophy from the University of Giessen when he was all of 13 years old – another Guinness World Record, and one that still stands today.
Witte might have ultimately become a lawyer, and he apparently traveled to Italy in 1818 to further this goal, but his love of books pulled him in a different direction. Witte became especially enamored with Dante’s poems and eventually became a recognized Dante scholar.
If nothing else, these 10 inspiring intellectuals prove that hard work and focus can lead the way to a successful – and hopefully happy – academic life.
Source: http://www.gradschoolhub.com
