Miss America: 'Being smart is cool'


Nina Davuluri, a.k.a. Miss America 2014, wants young women to know the value of education. "Being smart is cool," Davuluri said Monday at a roundtable discussion of diversity in STEM education.
Davuluri is in Washington, D.C. this week speaking with teachers and legislators about STEM, Politico reports. She spoke to this year's Einstein Fellows, a group of teachers who spend a year working at Washington agencies like the National Science Foundation, about STEM on Monday.
In addition to being the first Indian American chosen as Miss America, Davuluri has distinguished herself from past winners with her focus on STEM and education. Earlier this year, she spoke at Yale about her passion for intellectual pursuits. Before becoming Miss America, Davuluri studied brain, behavior, and cognitive science at the University of Michigan.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Davuluri is passionate about increasing diversity in STEM, and she told Morning Education that she wants to be a role model for female students, Politico reports. "Education is the key to success, and we need to make more students see that," Davuluri said. On Wednesday, she will join Attorney General Eric Holder, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough for a "Let's Read! Let's Move!" event to encourage young people to read and exercise during the summer months.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia