About the Founder

Dr. Rao realized early in life that he had an appreciation for material science and engineering. This awareness became apparent as he learned of the fact that all technological advances are made possible with new materials. With this in mind, he pursued his master’s degree in materials science at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. This broadened his horizons and motivated him to specialize in semiconductor materials and devices during his Ph.D. studies at the Oregon State University and the University of Michigan. Following his dream, he started his teaching and research career at George Mason University. In just 9 years, he became a full professor and received 28 years of continued research funding from prestigious funding agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF). 



He has always wanted to impart his knowledge to educate young children and parents alike. In 2006, Dr. Rao and his wife Savitri started classes at the Durga Temple, to raise funds for the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing basic education in tribal villages in India. In the past 8 years, the program has grown into multiple numbers of Curie Learning centers. They also opened an early elementary education day school program called The Madame Curie School of Science and Technology. The focus of this program is both science and technology, along with a strong foundation in math and language arts.