YOUTH HIGHLIGHT
CHERYL CHERIAN
In 2005, Dr. Karen Cherian was valedictorian in the IB program at Hillsborough High School. Three years later, her sister Christina became a valedictorian in the same program at the same school. And in May 2012, the third Cherian sister, Cheryl, graduated as valedictorian from the IB program at Hillsborough High with a cumulative GPA of 9.11.
Cheryl is currently enrolled in the six-year premedical-medical program at Pennsylvania State University. She has taken several dual enrollment courses at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida along with online courses at Florida Virtual School since 2007. During her high school career, she founded the Future Physicians Forum and participated in Mu Alpha Theta, Science National Honor Society, and Key Club. She was a student ambassador for her high school and an Ambassador Leader for United Planet.
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ORLANDO Prof. C. Suryanarayana Wins Prestigious Federal Assignment
Prof. C. Suryanarayana
Professor C. Suryanarayana, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Central Florida, has been chosen as a 2012-13 Jefferson Science Fellow (JSF) by the U.S. Department of State. It is the first time that anyone from the JCF has received this honor. The JSF program was established in 2004 as an innovative model for engaging American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities in U.S. foreign policy.
As a Jefferson Science Fellow, Prof. Suryanarayana recently moved to the D.C. area and will report to the U.S. Department of State and serve a one-year assignment engaging in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy for an office within the State Department or the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Prof. Suryanarayana was earlier ranked by Thomson Reuters as the top 40th materials scientist from among 500,000 materials scientists in the world who have achieved the highest citation impact scores for papers published during the last decade. He is a recipient of the Young Scientist Medal of the Indian National Science Academy (awarded by the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi) and the National Metallurgists’ Day Award of the Government of India, among other awards.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI ENGINEER PROF. S.S. RAO WINS ASME AWARD
Singiresu Sambasiva Rao, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Miami (UM), Coral Gables, was recipient of the 2012 ASME Design Automation Award for his pioneering research contributions. He received the award on Aug. 14 at the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences in Chicago. The citation states that the award is given to him “for pioneering contributions to Design Automation, particularly in Multiobjective Optimization and Uncertainty Modeling, Analysis and Design using Probability, Fuzzy, Interval, and Evidence Theories.” It is one of the prestigious awards given by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Rao is active in conducting research sponsored by government agencies such as National Science Foundation, NASA and Air Force and corporations like General Motors, General Electric and International Paper Company. He is a Fellow of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and an Associate Fellow of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics).
ORLANDO CHAMBER HAS A Busy Season
Last month was quite busy for Indian American Chamber of Commerce in Orlando area. On Sept 13, a business networking event was sponsored by Sebastian Healthcare Realty. On Sept 22, IACC hosted a breakfast meeting for Parvathaneni Harish, Consul General of India, Houston, who assumed this position recently. His first priority was to meet local groups in the nine states covered by the CGI Houston. Harish said their top priority was to streamline all consular – visa, PIO, OCI – applications and has achieved a record of processing almost 140,000 such services.
Consulate General of Houston has a 24-hour emergency line, which is open for Indian citizens. For more information, visit www.cgihouston.org
Two days later, IACC hosted Patricia Loui, member of the Board of Directors of the Export- Import Bank of U.S. for an informal discussion on business and the economy, and to share ways in which the Obama Administration can better serve the Asian American community in Orlando. On Oct. 11, IACC will hold a joint event with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce at Aroma Restaurant in Lake Mary.
The chamber will hold its popular Annual Awards Banquet & Casino Night Gala on Nov. 3 at the Gaylord Palms Resort near the Disney area. It is held to honor Indians in the business community who show a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
IACC President Dr. Beena Parikh said, “Our partnership has resulted in the Orlando Magic designating the Jan. 27, 2013 game as ‘Indian American Night.’ The IACC will be at the forefront and with the help of the community, we will be able to showcase the beauty of our culture and the strength of local Indian Americans.”
To purchase tickets for Nov. 3 Annual Awards Banquet, Orlando Magic's ‘Indian American Night’ or for more information, call Beena Parikh at (321) 217-8605, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.iaccorlando.com
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