Bishop Devadhar

DEVADHAR IS NEW BISHOP: Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar named bishop of Greater N.J. Conference (diocese) of the United Methodist Church, to become the 2nd Indian bishop in the U.S.; the first was Johncy Itty.

Bishop Devadhar

EL-GA-MAL ON U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT: The U.S. Treasury Department announced the appointment of Dr. Mahmoud El-Ga-mal to serve as its first Islamic Finance Scholar-in-Residence on June 2.

Bishop Devadhar

RIGHTS AWARD FOR GUPTA: Attorney Vanita Gupta, who spearheaded a legal battle to win the release of 35 African Americans falsely convicted of drug-related crimes in Tulia, TX, named a recipient of the ‘2004 Reebok Human Rights Awards’ on March 8.


ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR –– William Denis Fugazy, chairman of The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) announced recipients of the prestigious Ellis Island Medals of Honor, selected from over 9,000 nominations, at a reception at The Columbus Club in New York on March 4. Gopal Raju, Chairman of Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA), Dr. Raghavendra R. Vijayanagar, M.D., Dr. Muhammed Majeed and Dr. Jay Yadav were among recipients. Among others announced for 2004 Medals were Queen Noor; musician-composer Yanni; sportscasters Sal Marchiano and Warner Wolf; Irish step dancer Michael Flatley; artist Leroy Neiman; Executive Vice President/COO LiDestri Foods Inc., Edward P. Salzano; Vice President Corporate Community Relations Time Warner Inc., Gerri Warren-Mack; Greek Orthodox Church of America Archbishop Demetrios; and Vice President Emeritus World Environment Center, James G. Vaughn. Seen in the photo, Fugazy, second from left (front row), with the 2004 Ellis Island Medalists. PHOTO INSET, Gopal Raju.


‘LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD’ FOR BANIK: Dr. Sambhu Banik, right, was awarded ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ for his “untiring efforts to serve the Indian-American community,” on Capitol Hill on Sept. 9.


DESAI’S APPOINTMENT: The Asia Society in March appointed Vishakha N. Desai as its new president –– the first Asian-American to head the organization.


DR. JAYASANKAR PRESIDENT OF BOSTON MEDICAL LIBRARY: Dr. Donald Palmisano, right, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), with Dr. S. Jayasankar on his election as president of the Boston Medical Library in January. He is chair of the AMA, International Medical Graduates (IMG) section, which represents an estimated 180,000 IMG physicians in the U.S.


MENON ON U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: Shayam Menon, right, an attorney and civic activist in Virginia, was appointed associate director for administrative reform in the Education Department’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. At his left is Jack Hession, executive director of Indian American Republican Council.


‘KALPANA CHAWLA HALL:’ The University of Texas at Arlington on Sept. 24 dedicated ‘Kalpana Chawla Hall,’ its newest residential facility for students on its campus, in memory of astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

Dr. Bhimu Patil

PATIL DIRECTOR AT TEXAS A&M U.: Dr. Bhimu Patil, a citrus scientist at the Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center at Weslaco, TX, was appointed director of Texas A&M University’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center. He will assume charge from Jan. 3.


RAFIQUZZAMAN’S APPOINTMENT: Dr. Mohamed Rafiquzzaman, a member of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Economic Recovery Team, appointed to the Technology Board of the Committee, and is the only South Asia-born American on the Board.


PREETA BANSAL ELECTED: Preeta D. Bansal was on June 30 elected chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the federal agency that advises the Bush administration and the U.S. Congress on the state of religious freedom around the world.

Shivam Shah

SHAH IS SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER, JANUARY –– Shivam Mallick Shah was hired as Senior Program Officer in the Education Division at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.“I will focus on grant-making and investment activities in New York and the Northeast,” Shah told News India-Times.

ARYA IS SOROS FELLOW, JANUARY –– Neelum Arya, a lawyer from California, was among 22 scholars, journalists, advocates, lawyers and community leaders named 2004Society Institute Soros Justice Fellows.

Panagariya

JAGDISH BHAGWATI PROFESSOR, FEBRUARY: Economics Professor Arvind Panagariya, co-director of the Center for International Economics at the University of Maryland at College Park, MD, appointed the Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University, New York.

8 ELECTED TO N.A.E., MARCH: Eight engineers of Indian-origin were among the 76 new members elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE), exceeding the six elected last year and the five elected in 1999.

TRUMAN SCHOLARS, MAY –– Eleven Indian-American students were among 77 students from 67 U.S. colleges and universities selected as 2004 Truman Scholars.

M. Nasim Ali

ALI’S APPOINTMENT, MAY –– SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company’s executive vice president M. Nasim Ali was appointed to the N.J. Asian American Commission by Governor James E. McGreevey.

VALLABHAN ON ACS, APRIL –– The American Cancer Society named Shalini Vallabhan, who worked as legislative aide to U.S. Congressman David Bonior (D-MI) as its director for India and South Asia.

Satish Tripathi

TRIPATHI NAMED PROVOST, APRIL –– Professor Satish K. Tripathi, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, was named provost of the University at Buffalo (UB).

INDUCTION IN N.A.S., APRIL 20 –– Professor Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Ramanath Cowsik were among scientists inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, D.C.

Kalidas Shetty

JEFFERSON SCIENCE FELLOWS, JUNE –– Professor Kalidas Shetty of University of Massachusetts was among five recipients of the first Jefferson Science Fellowship announced by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

DESAI, MELOOKARAN’S APPOINTMENT, JUNE –– President George W. Bush named Dr. Akshay Desai from Florida and Joseph Melookaran from Kansas as commissioners to his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Piyush Agrawal

AGRAWAL’S APPOINTMENT, JULY 1 –– Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed educationist Piyush C. Agrawal of Weston, Florida, to the board of directors of The Florida Fund for Minority Teachers.

SAWHNEY ON AMA, JULY –– Krishna K. Sawhney named president of the American Medical Association Foundation for 2004-2005.

ASH JAIN APPOINTED, AUGUST –– Attorney Ash Jain appointed as Special Assistant in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Arms Control, headed by Assistant Secretary Stephen Rademaker.

PRESIDENTIAL CAREER AWARDS, SEPT. 9 –– Arjun M. Heimsath, Sandeep K. Shukla, Ravi D. Vakil and Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay were among several Indian Americans in the list of 57 recipients of Presidential Early Career Awards by the White House.

100 YOUNG RESEARCHERS, SEPT. 29-30 –– Ten scientists of South Asian origin were in the list of the world’s leading 100 young researchers drawn up by the MIT.

Jim Billimoria

BILLIMORIA’S APPOINTMENT, SEPT. 27 –– Jim Billimoria, press assistant to Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH), was promoted to Press Secretary. Rep. Pryce is House Republican Conference Chairwoman.

Uma Sengupta

SENGUPTA HONORED, OCT. 14: The Queens Library Foundation honored Democratic District Leader Uma Sengupta for her contributions to the children in Queens.

MULANEY ELECTED, DECEMBER: Jay Mulaney (Moolchandani), M.D., was elected president by members of the Polk County Medical Association at their meeting in Florida.
(Compiled by Nishant Arora)