WDIY's Teen Scientist host Rayna Malhotra was honored on Tuesday with official proclamations from both Northampton County and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, recognizing her accomplishments with the monthly program.
The recognition came as Malhotra, who has recently graduated from Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, prepares to step down from her hosting role in September to attend Stanford University.
In a ceremony at the WDIY facilities, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure read a proclamation from the county and presented it to Malhotra. The proclamation recognized her contribution to youth STEM education and the statewide recognition it has garnered.
"I, Lamont G. McClure, Northampton County Executive, on behalf of the citizens of the County recognize and congratulate Rayna Malhotra for her exceptional contributions to STEM education and media, as well as her numerous accolades."Lamont McClure, official Northampton County proclamation
With Malhotra at the helm of the show, Teen Scientist has been the recipient of three Excellence in Broadcasting Awards from the PA Association of Broadcasters and a Keystone Media Award from the PA NewsMedia Association, making it the most award-winning show in WDIY's 29-year history.
"Thank you to Executive McClure and Northampton County for this recognition," Malhotra said. "My time here at WDIY has been really special to me."
Malhotra also received an official proclamation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by State Rep. Mike Schlossberg (Lehigh) and State Rep. Steve Samuelson (Northampton). The two representatives did not attend the event at WDIY, but they sent a signed copy of the proclamation to be given to the teen host. WDIY Executive Director Margaret McConnell read the proclamation to Malhotra and those in attendance.
A search is currently underway for a new high school student to take over as host of Teen Scientist after Malhotra's final episode in September.
Teen Scientist is a monthly 30-minute radio show and podcast that focuses on groundbreaking innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines — entirely from a teenage perspective. The show features one-on-one interviews of both fellow teens conducting research and experts in various STEM fields.
Teen Scientist is one of four WDIY Youth Media Program shows airing regularly throughout the year, hosted by Lehigh Valley high school students. Since launching in 1999, the station's Youth Media Program has trained and mentored over 200 high school students in audio production, announcing, writing, and journalism.
