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A doctorate in educational psychology, Dr. Patel was a college
lecturer before she joined JBNSTS. She was selected to the post of Deputy
Director in 1967, with the object of grooming her for the Directorship.
This responsibility came sooner than expected following Dr. Mitra's death
in 1968.
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Dr. Patel added a new dimension to the character of the JBNSTS
through her affectionate concern for all scholars. She set the tradition
of the "Scholars' Family" , a label which has become a living tradition,
which makes this program different from any other in the world. She
re-designed the selection tests and provided a sound educational base to
its construction. Again it was Dr. Patel who introduced divergent thinking
ability as a criterion for selection, evaluated through the Science Fair.
This opened up an opportunity to send the best exhibits to different
international forums, where the performance of scholars won several
prizes.
In 1972, Dr. Patel was awarded a Research Fellowship of the
American Association for University Women. She spent one year in the US,
to train at the Educational Testing Service and later to work under
Professor Calvin Taylor at the University of Utah, U.S.A. In 1974 she
decided to settle in the United States of America.
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